Reunion
by secooper87
Summary: Despite being "dead", the Doctor and Seo have somehow woken up to find themselves on Gallifrey. But can Buffy and Jenny save them in time?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: My head is in Arthurian mode, right now, after writing my King Arthur story all day yesterday. That's gonna be a fantastic story, by the way (story where Seo meets King Arthur). I just need to finish writing it and fix up the narrative voice a little.

Anyways!

This is the last story in the series "Child of Balime". The next story will start the new series, "Shockwave Vampires." The first book is also called "Shockwave Vampires", so that'll be easy to remember!

I know you'll all love "Reunion." It's one of those stories that just makes me laugh so hard, and is also touching and sweet. A really and truly great story, and one that'll please all my fans who've been rooting for this moment since "Adventures of a Line Hopper."

Enjoy!

(Response to Guest Review at end.)

* * *

The first thing the Doctor heard, lying on the ground, his eyes still closed, was a pleasant humming sound. One that made him think of the TARDIS, and smile.

When he opened his eyes and sat up, the smile dripped off his face.

"What?!" the Doctor cried.

He jumped to his feet, ran over to the nearby window. Pressed his hands and face against it, peering through the glass at the landscape below him.

"Same sky," the Doctor said. "Same trees. Same landscape. It has to be…!" He stepped back. "No. No, that's impossible. Even if I did, even if it is… it's outside the universe! And the walls of reality are sealed. How'd I get from being in the universe to being out of the universe, without anything or anyone to unlock…?"

A groan, from behind him.

The Doctor spun around, to discover Seo, getting up from where she'd been laying on the floor. Her hand against her head, squinting at the area around them.

Seo.

The Key.

The Doctor's skepticism all melted away, replaced by a smile. "I did it," he whispered. Then leapt up into the air, punching it with his fists. "I did it!" he shouted. "Ha-ha-ha! Who's Mr. Clever now?"

"Did what?" Seo asked. Then noticed the view outside, and leapt to her feet, racing over. "Ooh, another planet!" Her face beaming and curious, as she examined the landscape. "A red one. Like Mars! But two suns. So not like Mars. And no green lizard things trying to kill me — so definitely not like Mars." She furrowed her brow. Then looked up at the Doctor. "Do you remember how we got here, or…?"

She drifted off.

As she noticed the look on the Doctor's face.

"You know where we are?" Seo guessed.

The Doctor put an arm around her shoulders. Leaned down, pointing into the distance. "That," he said, pointing to the left, "is Mount Solace, where I used to go to pick fruit from the Ulanda trees. And that," pointing to a small settlement nearby, "is the Shobogan settlement where I used to go when I was skipping out on my lessons." He smiled, even wider, and pointed at the second sun in the sky. "And _that_ , Seo, is the sun you're named after."

Seo blinked.

Then blinked again.

Then stepped away from the Doctor, suddenly wary. "That doesn't make sense."

"Well, not _that_ sun," the Doctor conceded. "The real sun's back in our universe. But it looks like Gallifrey's managed to find two suitable alternative suns, and…!"

Seo stepped back, even further. "You've gone mad."

"What? No!" The Doctor spread his arms open. "This is Gallifrey. See? I saved it!"

Seo cringed. Then, in a soft voice, reminded him, "Father… you _destroyed_ it."

"Yes, yes, yes, but then I went back and saved it!" the Doctor replied. He pushed back his floppy brown hair, as he hurried to describe what had happened with the Moment on Gallifrey. How Clara had intervened, with the three of him there at once.

And history had changed.

"So this time, instead of destroying Gallifrey," the Doctor concluded, "I yanked the planet out of the universe at just the right second, and moved it somewhere else. I didn't know if it had worked. Or if I'd just vaporized the planet completely. But, turns out… it worked!" The Doctor beamed. "I saved Gallifrey! See?"

Seo was silent.

Staring at him, her jaw dropped.

The Doctor's enthusiasm wavered, just a hair. "Impressive? Congratulations? Anything?"

"That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard!" Seo cried.

The Doctor took a step towards her. "No, really. It's true! I changed my own history."

"You changed your own history," Seo double checked. "As in… you did the one thing you've put on my 'If You Ever Do This Seo I Will Shove You Down A Black Hole' list."

"Well… yes," the Doctor conceded. Fiddling with the cuff of his sleeve. "But I can get away with it. Because I'm a thousand years old and a genius."

Seo quirked an eyebrow.

And the Doctor had the feeling she didn't believe him.

"So when _I'm_ that old," Seo replied, "then I'll be able to go back on my personal timeline and muck about with it like that?"

"What? You? No! Absolutely not!" the Doctor said. "Never, never, never, never! How many nevers can I put in? Never never never never! Not in a million, billion, trillion years! Not in all the history of the universe, and—"

The Doctor stopped himself.

As he realized that this wasn't helping to convince Seo that he'd actually saved Gallifrey.

"But it's all right when _I_ do it," the Doctor added, quietly.

Seo crossed her arms.

Giving him a stubborn look.

"Look, Seo, it's complicated," the Doctor decided. "It was the middle of a war, time and space were falling apart, everything was up for grabs, and…"

A sound, behind them.

They both turned, and the Doctor started, as he recognized the silhouettes of the shadows approaching. He yanked his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, then grabbed Seo by the arm and thrust her behind him.

Whatever had happened to the planet, he didn't know how the _people_ would feel.

If they'd think of him as the man who saved them…

Or if he'd always be the one who initially destroyed them.

The Time Lords entered the room, all dressed in their ceremonial robes and gigantic hats, their faces all serious and somber. The Doctor backed away, hissing at Seo to stay behind him, trying to think through any and all escape options they might have.

Which was a bit tricky.

As he couldn't figure out how he'd gotten here in the first place.

"Doctor," the Time Lords said, in unison.

Then, as a group, they all bowed before him. Expressing their thanks and their gratefulness for being saved from certain destruction.

The Doctor lowered his sonic.

A grin spreading across his face.

"Oh, well, it was nothing!" the Doctor said, tucking his screwdriver back into his pocket, and letting go of Seo. He stepped forwards. "Just shows how clever I am." He adjusted his bow tie. "And impressive." He gestured at Seo, behind him. "She's impressive, too, at times. Except when she's not. She's a kid — no hard feelings, she's still working on it."

The Time Lords looked up.

Their eyes falling on Seo.

And the Doctor stepped a little closer to her. Protectively. Ready to leap in if the Time Lords decided she was some abomination or tool or something to be locked up forever in the Anomaly Vault.

"The child will be safe, Doctor," said one voice in the crowd, as one of the Time Ladies got up. Her eyes and face instantly familiar, her stance instantly one the Doctor recognized. She walked over to him. "You have my word."

"Romana!" The Doctor threw his arms around her. Then, hesitantly, withdrew. Eyeballing her up and down. "I thought you were dead. Or mad. Or dead and mad."

"You always did have a habit of underestimating me, Doctor," Romana replied, extracting herself from his embrace. She straightened her hat and her robes, and held out her hand to Seo. "Welcome, Seo. Welcome to Gallifrey."

Seo didn't take the hand.

Instead, just stepped back. Looking at all the Time Lords. Then at Romana.

"Who are you?" Seo asked, in a low, edgy voice. "What do you want?"

"Ah! Seo, this is one of my best friends, Romana," the Doctor said, trying to gently push Seo towards his friend. "Romana, this is Seo. A… well… daughter from an alternate timeline edited out of the universe who then wound up in my universe and I've decided to sort of take on."

He hurried through the last bit as much as he could.

In the hopes that no one around would notice it too much.

But he could see — everyone did.

He'd known they would.

"And if you lot harm one hair on her head," the Doctor continued, his voice edged with just that little bit of threat, "I'll hunt you down to the ends of… whatever universe you've wound up in."

"That won't be necessary," Romana replied. "I will see to it, personally, Doctor, that she is safe."

The Doctor was about to comment…

When Seo grabbed him by the arm and yanked him, violently, away from Romana.

"Who are you?" Seo demanded. "What are you? What is this place?"

"Seo," the Doctor sighed, trying to get his arm away from her, "I've told you. This is Gallifrey. These…" gesturing at the people around him, "…are Time Lords."

"That's not possible," said Seo. Glaring at the Time Lords. "You're not possible. None of you!" She spun her father around, turning her glare on him. "How can you accept this all at face value?" she shouted. Pointing at the Time Lords around them. "You almost killed these people! You really think they'd just forgive that and welcome you with open arms?!"

The Doctor hesitated.

"The situation… wasn't exactly like that," the Doctor tried to explain. "The Time Lords were about to die, anyways. Dalek ships were poised above the planet. Everyone was desperate! Rassilon even tried to end the whole universe and ascend in order to survive… although…" glancing around himself, with a cringe, "…I probably shouldn't have mentioned that…"

"Rassilon's scheme has since been exposed, and his status as President of Gallifrey revoked," Romana said.

"There! See?" The Doctor grinned. "We're all friends, again!"

Seo didn't grin.

She looked like she was about to explode.

"I've spent my whole life making mistakes I can't take back," Seo said, through her teeth. "Universes falling apart because of me. Drusilla being sired. Tosh and Owen dying. My own _Mom_ , sentenced to…!"

She shook, trying to keep herself under control.

"If something like you're saying is possible," Seo said, very quietly, "and I could have doubled back and fixed all those mistakes and done everything right…"

"It wasn't like that," the Doctor insisted. "Generally, you can't. But this was one specific—!"

Seo thrust him away from her, irritated. "Just… stop it!" she shouted. Spinning around. "This can't be Gallifrey. It can't be possible! And when you come to your senses and realize that you've been tricked into some sort of… delusional episode… you're going to feel very stupid!"

Then stormed off.

The Doctor and Romana watched her.

Both not sure, for a few long moments, what to say.

"She came from the Axis," the Doctor realized. Hit himself on the forehead. "Oh, stupid Doctor! Everyone died — including me — in her universe, and she _couldn't_ stop it. Of course she'd never accept my brilliant and amazingly clever trick saving Gallifrey. If she accepted it was possible to go back and save people…"

He paused.

His face falling.

"…then she'd never forgive herself," the Doctor muttered, "for letting them all die."

"But you didn't save _everyone_ in the War," said Romana. "Just Gallifrey. The same way Seo's dad couldn't save everyone — just her. What's the difference?"

The Doctor smiled at his friend. "I missed you, Romana."

"Go after her, Doctor," Romana urged him. "Make her reasonable. Please."

* * *

Author's Note: Responding to "Guest", who reviewed Tartarus Gate.

Thanks for the review! I always put important actions on their own line in order to enhance the skimmability of my book. That way, if you want to find a specific section or just glance at the page and try to figure out what's going on, you can.

The habit of putting a death on its own line is actually thanks to a book I read a long time ago, in which a character died in the middle of a long and exhausting paragraph. However, because it was nestled so tightly inside, I actually missed it. I had no idea why this character wasn't showing up anymore, and it was only later in the book (when someone mentioned the guy was dead), that I discovered what had happened. I thought, "Why didn't this author make it obvious? I should put all my deaths on one line, to make sure everyone knows the character is dead!"

And now, you know the reason why I do that.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed Tartarus Gate! Hope you enjoy this story!


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor found Seo huddled up in the corner of one of the rooms, knees tucked up to her chin, eyes darting around her, suspiciously. She tensed, the moment he entered. Then relaxed, as she saw who it was.

She looked away.

"You know how it is when time falls apart and the universe is in danger of collapse, don't you?" The Doctor sat down, beside her. "I saw it with the War. You saw it with… your own universe."

Seo nodded, faintly.

Her eyes haunted with the memory.

"Did you ask if you could change that?" the Doctor asked. "When you were a little girl? Did you want to go back to your earliest possible memory, and fix things?"

Seo said nothing for a long time.

Then, "He said it was impossible."

"Your… Dad," the Doctor clarified. "The person who raised you?"

Seo nodded.

"But your Dad still saved _you_ ," the Doctor reminded her. "Not everything. Not everyone. Just one person plucked from her rightful spot, and given a new life."

Seo dropped her head. Forehead resting on her knees.

"I did that with this planet," the Doctor said. "One planet. Plucked from the chaos. And saved. That's why it's here." He smiled. "And… I think… _you're_ why _we're_ here."

Seo didn't answer.

"The Time Lords used you to take us out of the universe and bring us to Gallifrey," the Doctor explained. "That means… they must have been trying to get you and me here, together. So you could help them return! Well, you are the Key, after all. Just a bit of cleverness, and I'm sure returning this planet to its normal spot in the universe would be…" He trailed off.

As he noticed her whole body trembling.

Gooseflesh dotting her arms.

"Seo?" the Doctor said, putting a hand on her back. "Are you… all right?"

Seo shot out of his grasp.

Plastered against the far wall, eyes wide and face terrified. Breathing, heavily, trying to quell the rising panic.

"Get away from me," Seo breathed.

The Doctor frowned, getting up to go after her. "Seo…"

"I said _get away!_ " Seo screamed.

The Doctor stopped.

Raised up his hands, in placation.

"Right. Now… who are you, really?" Seo demanded of him. "Where are we? And what do you want with me?"

"Seo, it's me," the Doctor assured her.

He tried taking another step forwards…

And Seo clenched her hands into fists. Looking like she was going to deck him if he got any closer.

So he stopped.

"It's _really_ me," the Doctor said, again. "This is _really_ Gallifrey. Everything I've told you is the truth." He met her eyes with his. "You can trust me; I'm the Doctor."

Her hands shook. As the fists began to loosen.

And her fighting stance fell away.

"I… I…" She looked around herself. Shuddered. "I don't want to be alone here."

The Doctor swooped in, to comfort her. Shushing her, as he put his arm around her shoulders.

"It's a bit lavish, grand, and intimidating — but it's not so bad, once you get used to it," the Doctor assured her. Thrusting out of his mind all the very long days, in his youth, when he'd shouted at his tutors that it was the most rubbish planet in the universe, and he was going to steal a TARDIS and go exploring, first chance he got. "Don't judge on first appearances. It's… home. Well, my home. A home."

Seo said nothing for a long while.

"And… Romana?" Seo squeaked.

"Oh, she's certainly not one to be judged on first appearances!" the Doctor replied, with a laugh. "Old friend of mine — bit cold, at first, but you'll love her. She and I traveled the universe, righting wrongs, defending innocents, assembling the segments of the Key… to…"

The Doctor trailed off.

As the terror grew exponentially on Seo's face.

"Ah," the Doctor muttered to himself. "Right. Key."

Segments of that Key could be people, of course. The Doctor knew it. Romana knew it.

Seo knew it better than most.

"I've known Romana a long time," the Doctor assured Seo. "She doesn't run about, transforming people into stone segments. She turned the Princess Astra back into a person, after all! She respects the value of life." He pat Seo on the back, again. "Told you. I won't let anything happen to you."

Seo looked down at the floor.

Said nothing for a long time.

"I'm never going to escape this place," Seo whispered.

The Doctor frowned. "Sorry… what?!"

"I can just… _feel_ it in the air," Seo said. Ventured another look around her, and shuddered, again. "This horrible place… it's the end for me. My tomb."

"Well, you're in a cheerful mood, today," the Doctor replied, also looking out at the surroundings. "Remind me not to take you to any other places I consider 'home'."

She snapped her head over to him.

Suddenly realizing what she'd said.

"I didn't… exactly mean it like…" Seo grimaced. "It's… a very lovely tomb?"

Right.

Looked like she wasn't in any mood to listen to his assurances that she was perfectly safe. And that he, most assuredly, _wouldn't_ let her die, here.

Unless…

"Seo, do you… _recognize_ this place?" the Doctor double-checked. "Is this 'tomb' bit some… memory breaking through?"

After all.

Glory had met her ultimate fate on Gallifrey.

A tomb, of some sort, for her.

"Recognize?!" Seo shook her head. "This place has been destroyed since before I was born! How could I recognize it?"

Right.

Fine.

Not that, then.

"But Terazina said…" Seo paused. Thinking it all through. "She knew… if I left to go back and fix history… I wouldn't be able to return. And the Glarnov's weapon seemed to think I wasn't long for the universe, either. Even you — back when we were banishing the spores — went on at me about dying too soon! And…"

She paused.

Then looked up at the Doctor. "I'm going to die, here," Seo said. "Aren't I?"

The Doctor sighed.

Looked like simply reassuring her wasn't working.

He was going to have to prove it.

"Tell you what," the Doctor said, getting up, "how about we both go, together, and speak in private with my good friend Romana? That way, you'll know she isn't out to kill you — and neither is anyone else, here." He held out a hand to her. "What do you say?"

Seo hesitated.

Then, with a deep breath, took the hand, and let him lead her away.


	3. Chapter 3

They found Romana in her office. No longer Madam President, yet it seemed she still warranted a nice office, adorned with the symbols of a Gallifreyan in high standing in the government.

"She seems calmer," Romana observed, eyeing Seo.

Seo stood beside the Doctor. Still scared, but clearly distracted by the many objects lying about Romana's office. A curious glow lit up her eyes, as if she were trying to deduce the purpose of each item just from sight.

"We had a chat," the Doctor explained. "Seems Seo is a bit… well… afraid you're going to kill her." He gave a sheepish grin. "Makes sense, I suppose — given…"

"…who she is, and what she's done," Romana said, quietly. "Yes, I know." She gave Seo a friendly smile. "I assure you, Seo — from the bottom of my hearts. No harm will come to you, here. You are under my protection."

Seo shifted her eyes back to Romana.

Trying not to tremble.

"I don't believe you," Seo said. She swallowed, hard. "Did you bring me here? Am… I alone? Is…" She glanced at the Doctor, nervously. Then added, in a whisper, "Is _he_ real?"

"If he's your father," said Romana, "then there's an easy enough way to tell." She glanced at the Doctor, pointedly.

He knew what to do.

Turned Seo around, his hands on her shoulders, looking deep into her eyes. "This won't hurt," he said, "but it might be… strange. At first." He took a deep breath. "Are you ready?"

Seo nodded.

Eyes still wide.

The Doctor closed his own. "Contact," he said.

"Contact," Seo echoed back, automatically.

As their two minds touched, just for a second. A flash of colors and memories and fears and happiness, all colliding for a single instant. Just enough for them both to know that they were themselves.

Just enough for Seo to see what had happened, on Gallifrey, when the Doctor had been about to use the Moment.

Then the Doctor broke contact.

"See?" the Doctor said.

Seo's mouth formed words, but she couldn't speak. Looking up at her father, those large brown eyes staring deep into his.

Then she threw her arms around him, and hugged him, tightly.

"Don't leave me here," she whispered. "Please."

The Doctor gave a soft chuckle. Then, with a glance at Romana, "I can guess why the Time Lords brought her here. But she's still a person — remember that. And not quite as powerful as you may think." He lowered his voice, a little. "To be honest, I think the idea of moving a whole planet… scares her, a little. It's not clear she has enough control to actually—"

His words turned into a yelp, as Seo managed to use the hug to lift him off the ground and twist him around so he was behind her.

Then Seo spun around, turning on Romana.

"He's real," Seo said, "so that means… this isn't about me, at all. It's about _him_." Pointing at the Doctor. "You gave him the one thing he wanted to see most. And the one thing he wanted to _believe_ most." Her eyes narrowed. "But I'm not as harmless as he might make me seem. In fact, I'm _very_ dangerous."

"I know," Romana replied.

"She's not actually—" the Doctor tried.

"And if this is another universe, then as far as I'm concerned — that's good news for me," Seo interrupted. "Because that means that if you kill my father, I won't feel even remotely guilty about reducing this whole universe to a singularity. Is that perfectly…?"

They were interrupted, as the door opened.

And the tall, dignified and regal-looking figure of Rassilon stepped into the room. Surrounded by Time Lords and guards, all standing nearby.

The Doctor looked between Seo and Rassilon.

Watched as Seo's face turned pale.

"Romana," the Doctor hissed, "this _isn't_ a good idea!"

The Doctor didn't know precisely what Glorificus had been up to, last time she'd been here. But he could guess that Rassilon had a hand in her fate.

And while it was true that the Glory in Seo didn't remember anything from before Seo was born… this might be enough to revive her memories.

And maybe… a little bit of hell goddess style vengeance.

(Unless Rassilon already knew the truth, and this was some sort of trap.)

"Doctor," Rassilon said. Bowing. "My dear Doctor. My favorite son. The savior of us all!"

Right.

So… it looked like mum's the word on everything that had transpired between the Doctor and Rassilon, during the War.

Or… trying to blow up the universe, at the end of it.

Or turning the Doctor's childhood best friend into a psychopath for his entire life.

"So much courage," Rassilon continued, his hands raised in praise of the Doctor. "So much bravery and cleverness. Crossing your own timeline to stop the destruction of your own people. We have so much to thank you for, Doctor. So much to—"

"Stop this," Seo breathed. Head snapping over to Romana. "Stop it, now!"

The Doctor gave a nervous laugh, and dragged Seo down into a kneeling position, as he knelt, too. "She didn't mean it, my Lord."

Seo struggled out of his grip, and jumped to her feet. "What is wrong with you people?" she shouted. "Is this some sort of game? A sick joke? Are you really that heartless?!"

"I think the Great Lord Rassilon simply wanted to praise your father," said Romana, evenly, "for his role in saving Gallifrey. And saving the universe."

"Saving the universe from _him_!" shouted Seo, pointing at Rassilon. "Father didn't say the Daleks were about to end the universe. He said _you_ were."

The Doctor gave an uneasy laugh, and tried to pull Seo down to a kneeling position, again.

But Seo shook him off.

And threw up her hands. "Just who the hell do you think you are?" Seo demanded of Rassilon. "No, actually — how about _I_ tell _you_?" She began to advance on Rassilon, eyes blazing. "You are an egomaniacal git, who's trumping up his own self importance by tearing apart—"

"Seo…" the Doctor warned, chasing after her and trying to tug her back. "That metal gauntlet on his hand… _isn't_ just for show."

"The Lord Rassilon is the founder of Gallifrey," Romana told Seo. "No matter what has happened, since, you must pay him at least the courtesy of—"

"This isn't Gallifrey!" Seo screamed. She grabbed up an item from Romana's desk, hurling it at the wall beside Rassilon. It shattered into tiny pieces. "And you? The 'Great Lord Radish-on'? Who are you? Nothing! Less than nothing! Just some bloke wearing a dress and a stupid hat!" She grabbed up another object, her face furious, as she swung it around, to belt it at him. "You're not worth—!"

"Seo!" Romana shouted.

Seo froze.

Object still in her hand. Her eyes glazing over, her face losing its fury.

As if in a trance, she slowly and calmly set the object back down on Romana's desk. Then turned, and left the room — without making a sound.

The Doctor looked between Seo and Romana. "She… when you… but that's…!"

Romana looked at him as if to say, 'what else would you expect from Time Lords?' Then turned to Rassilon, with a deep bow of respect. "I'm sorry, my Lord. Has she harmed you?"

The Doctor edged towards the door.

Suddenly far more on his guard than he'd been, before.

"Yes, I just… better… go after her," the Doctor said. Then spun on his heels, and bolted.

He never even looked back.

* * *

Jack gasped back to life, on the planet Ariffildos.

Tried to sit up.

But found himself strapped down and chained up. Unable to move.

"Terrific," Jack sighed, giving it up. "After all that planet-saving, we're back to being imprisoned in the king's dungeons. Some things never change, huh, Doctor?"

No answer.

He looked around the dark room. Realized he was alone. Wherever Seo and the Doctor were, they'd been imprisoned separately. Probably awaiting a rescue.

"Hey, if chains are what gets you off, your majesty," Jack shouted, "you only had to ask! Didn't need all the rough stuff."

The lights flickered on, as the door to his cell opened.

And Jack found himself face-to-face with the Chief of the Guards — Minolop. Who'd been responsible for dragging him and Seo to prison, over and over again, before the Doctor showed up to bail them out.

Except Minolop had never looked like this.

He was _furious_.

"The Doctor has helped countless numbers of people," Minolop said, "across the whole universe. All of time and space!" He stalked forwards, anger and fury in his eyes. "Even if it looks like you can't die — a lot of people would be ready to sentence you to eternal torment for what you've done." He grabbed up a blaster, pointing it at Jack. "And I'd gladly join them."

Jack sighed.

"If this is about the monsters that suddenly appeared in your skies," said Jack, "that's complicated. But we did still manage to banish—"

"The only monster here is _you_ ," said Minolop. "As if killing an innocent child wasn't enough!"

That made Jack shudder.

Thinking of Stephen.

The look on Alice's face, as she turned away from him forever.

Maybe, in the aftermath of banishing those spores, everyone was getting a good long look into Jack's soul. And not liking it very much.

"That's the thanks I get for saving Irkoli from psychic spores," Jack muttered. Then, in a darker voice, edging on threatening, demanded, "Where's the Doctor? Where's Seo?"

"Dead."

The word came as a tidal wave, smashing across Jack. For a few moments, he couldn't speak. Couldn't believe it.

"The autopsy's being performed as we speak," said Minolop. "Although I'm guessing we won't have to dig too far to discover who the murderer was. Will we… Jack Harkness?"

It took Jack a while before he realized…

This was why Minolop was furious.

This was why he was tied up.

The child they'd been talking about… _wasn't_ Stephen at all.

"You think I killed them?!" Jack cried. "If you hadn't noticed, I was busy being dead at the time." He struggled against his chains. "Look. Get me free. And I promise — I'll find the bastard who did this and shoot him between the eyes!"

"We _know_ you did it," said Minolop. "We have the security footage."

And Jack stared, as the wall in front of him lit up. Displaying the blurry footage from a video surveillance camera. The Doctor walking back to the TARDIS, his arm draped around the patch of air that must be Seo, both deep in conversation.

Before a familiar figure stepped out, in front of the camera. Blaster in hand.

And cleared his throat.

The Doctor turned. Clutched the patch of air a little tighter, as Seo's voice asked, "Jack?"

Jack watched as — on the video surveillance footage — his own duplicate gave them both a smile and a wink. Pointing the blaster straight at them. "Sorry to disappoint, cuties," Jack said, on camera. "But there are no Jacks here."

The Doctor spun around, shouting, "Seo, run!" and dragging — what was presumably — Seo behind him, as they sprinted to the TARDIS.

They'd never make it. Too far away.

Even Jack knew that.

"Nothing personal," said the Jack on the recording. "But business is business."

Which was when the blaster fired two shots.

Seo's voice screamed. The Doctor gave a grunt.

Their bodies falling to the ground. Not moving. Not regenerating. Just… dead.

"No," said Jack, now, watching it all unfold.

On the camera, his duplicated turned his blaster towards the camera. And shot it out. The image went static, as the footage ended.

Leaving Jack with nothing but dread and horror.

"That wasn't me!" Jack insisted. "I was dead! It couldn't… have been…"

But the problem was, seeing it play out… Jack remembered those words. He remembered _saying_ them.

Impossible!

Right?

"We have the bodies," said Minolop. "The evidence. The fingerprints on the gun match yours. The DNA found at the crime scene matches your own. You can't deny what you've done, Jack Harkness. You killed the Doctor and the girl."

"You're kidding!" Jack insisted. "I'd never…!"

Which was when a horrible thought occurred to him.

As he recalled just how the Doctor had acted, on that footage. And the words Jack, himself, had said — _no Jacks here_.

"Play it again," Jack said. "From the beginning."

The footage was grainy. Low resolution. It was hard to tell for sure, but… if Jack squinted, if he tried to make out the details…

"I'm younger," said Jack.

He felt a shudder run through him.

Two years of memories the Time Agency had stolen from him. Two years of things he'd done that he couldn't remember.

The merest flickering of a memory was starting to come back to him, now.

He remembered being that man, in the footage. Saying those words. And pulling the trigger.

Jack remembered killing them.

"Oh, God," said Jack. Remembering the phantoms that had shown up, when the spores had invaded his mind. His past coming to destroy his present. "I did it. I… actually killed…"

Jack felt numb.

As everything came clear to him, all at once.

"The Doctor said he couldn't figure out how those spores would be enough to destroy the future," Jack breathed. "That was because… they weren't what killed the future. It was _me_. This moment." He swallowed, hard. "The future died… because those two are no longer around to save it."

He remembered Terazina screaming at Seo that this was all her fault. So certain that, if Seo left to go to the past, she'd never be able to return to get Terazina home.

Because Seo was dead.

And Terazina had known it would happen.

"The Doctor warned me I couldn't protect Seo," Jack said. "Even if I wanted to."

And the Doctor was right.

Turned out, Jack had killed Seo before he'd ever even met her.

It made Jack feel sick.


	4. Chapter 4

"Seo!" the Doctor cried, when he found her. Spun her around, arms on her shoulders. Noticed the glazed look still in her eyes, and snapped his fingers. "Come on. Wake up. Rise and shine!"

Seo started.

Then seemed to come out of her trance, all at once. "What… what's…?"

"What did I miss?" the Doctor asked her, in a whisper.

Seo stared at him.

Confused.

"I don't…"

"You said you _knew_ this wasn't Gallifrey," the Doctor continued. "I thought you just didn't believe my story. And maybe you didn't. But it's more than that, isn't it? You _know_ this isn't Gallifrey, because you spotted some reason it _can't_ be. Something about this place that didn't make sense!"

Seo looked around herself, nervously.

"So what is it?" the Doctor said. "What did I miss? What gave the game away? What makes you so _sure_ that it _can't_ be Gallifrey?"

Seo shuddered.

Then, with one last glance around herself, leaned in close to him. Her eyes on the Time Lords passing by, down the hallway. Whispered, "You really can't see it? Not at all? Not even a trace?"

"See what?"

Seo pointed to the Time Lords outside. "They're all… fuzzy."

The Doctor blinked.

Then grabbed her by the hand, led her out. To a more open place. One of the chambers with many Time Lords milling around, going about their daily lives.

Some looked up, recognized the Doctor. And shouted their praises to him.

None of them looked _remotely_ fuzzy.

"Fuzzy," the Doctor repeated.

"Not exactly 'fuzzy'," Seo amended. "More sort of… off." She tilted her head. "Like… if I don't think about it, I can see them fine. But if I really try to look straight at them, I can't quite… focus on them."

The Doctor tried it.

Tried really looking straight at them.

He saw nothing out of the ordinary. They were just as they'd always been.

"They're all like that," Seo whispered. "Everyone here. Everyone that first came to meet us. Even that… tall one. Radish-on."

"Rassilon."

Seo nodded. Staring out into the sea of Time Lords. "Everyone… except your friend. Romana. _She's_ like us."

Romana.

The person who — with a single word — had managed to basically grab control of Seo and move her around like a puppet. The one person who…

…who had known Seo's name before the Doctor had introduced them.

Oh, stupid, stupid Doctor!

How could he have missed that?

"It's a trap," the Doctor realized. Pulled at his hair, irritated. "Oh, of course it's a trap! Bring me to the one place I wanted to find more than anywhere else! Butter me up with everything I wanted to hear! Give me back my friends, make sure I knew they forgave me. And they knew I'd surrender myself to the fantasy completely."

Seo nodded.

Her eyes never leaving the Time Lords below.

"But who would know?" the Doctor asked. "Aside from Clara, no one else knows that Gallifrey still exists. No one _can_ know. It's impossible. It's not as if the Time Lords would… I don't know… broadcast their presence to the universe!"

"Spores," Seo offered.

The Doctor scoffed. "Spores?!" Then, frowning. "Spores…" And, with a sudden beam, "Havchornom spores!"

He reached into his pocket, yanking out the spore machine he'd built, back on Ariffildos.

"Of course, some sort of… feedback loop!" the Doctor said, fiddling with the device. "Or perhaps we just got sucked through, with them, when we sent them out of the universe." He switched the device on. "A Havchornom plot, trying to trap us… in…"

He trailed off.

Hit the device with his hand.

Then… shook his head. And showed the results to Seo.

"No spores," Seo muttered, looking it over.

"No spores," the Doctor agreed. He shut the device off, and stowed it back in his pocket. "In fact, nothing to indicate there might be anything remotely wrong with this planet." He brought out his sonic, did a quick scan, checked the readings. Sighed. "Everything says… this is Gallifrey."

Seo still said nothing.

"Right, then!" the Doctor decided, putting away his sonic. He clapped his hands together, rubbed them. "First things first — escape. Time for an escape plan. Anybody? Seo? Ah, thought not. Down to me!" He spread open his hands, wiggling his fingers like a magician about to perform a trick. "The Time Lords are fuzzy. But the readings all say things are normal. What does that tell me? That neither this place nor our instruments are real. Not at all. The two of us probably aren't even here."

Seo turned back to him.

Quirked an eyebrow.

"Well, we don't know how we got here," the Doctor reason. "Or what happened, just before we arrived. The last thing I remember is banishing those spores on Ariffildos."

"That's the last thing I remember, too," Seo agreed.

"But what if, right after that point," the Doctor reasoned, "something happened — completely unrelated to the spores? Could be we were flying away, and got caught up in a time corridor. Or a scoop. Could be we landed on another planet! Could be…" He struggled to dredge up a memory, "…could be… we were shot."

Yes.

He thought he remembered being shot.

"But not just shot," the Doctor continued. "Injected. Something crawling around inside our minds. Making us both _think_ we're on Gallifrey, when we're actually just lying comatose, somewhere."

Seo's eyes went wide. "I… remember something about being shot."

"Yes, shot, not a nice thing. But — I happen to be very lucky!" the Doctor cried, grabbing her up by the arms. "Don't you see? Because whatever they implanted, it's meant for _me_. A Time Lord. Your brain didn't quite fit the bill — and that's letting you see the edges of this virtual reality. It's letting you see the cage!"

"But… if we've been shot," Seo said, quietly, "and we're lying comatose on Ariffildos… won't they think we're dead? Won't they… bury us alive, or slice us open for an autopsy, or…?"

"Oh, I doubt we're still on Ariffildos," the Doctor dismissed. "Whoever wanted us probably came to collect us, already."

"Unless they just wanted us too distracted to fight back," said Seo, "until it was too late. And we were both really dead."

Actually… now that she mentioned it…

The Doctor frowned, deeply. "Then we need one of us to get out of here," he decided. "Right away. Get out and make sure people know we're still alive." He shot her a challenging look. "Think you're up to it?"

Seo thought a moment.

Then grinned.

"What do I have to do?" she asked.

* * *

They settled down somewhere nice and quiet. The Doctor locking the door with his sonic screwdriver, then dragging objects in front of it, to create a barricade.

"Right!" the Doctor said, whirling around. He tucked the sonic into his top pocket, as he shuffled down the steps. "Locked the doors. Barricaded the room. No nosy intruders trying to stop us — very good for us. What's next?" With a clap. "Oh, yes! The plan."

Seo was sitting on the ground. Legs crossed. Her eyes closed. Trying to be as calm as possible, just like he'd told her, before.

"Whatever this place is," the Doctor said, "it's being implanted into your brain. So I'm going to lead you through a little trick we learned at the Academy. A way to shut off sections of your mind, for a short while. Shut down certain processes in your body."

"Like a heart," Seo muttered.

"Yes, just like a heart!" the Doctor said. She must have heard something about this, from someone else. "Except… not like a heart. Not this time. No — we're trying to shut off whatever's causing this simulation. No heart shut-downs allowed!"

With a little hop, he sat himself down beside Seo.

"Now," the Doctor instructed, his voice calm and soothing, "I want you to reach around inside your mind. Feel for anything you can find, deep down inside there. Anything that shouldn't be there. Anything you think doesn't belong."

Seo went very still.

Her brow furrowed in intense concentration.

"Anything you think shouldn't belong," the Doctor said, "just imagine it's a thought behind a door. I want you to take that door, shut it, and bolt it. And don't stop sealing that door away until you've broken through the illusion."

Seo's brow furrowed, even deeper.

Then her lips slipped into a small smile. As if she'd just found something. Discovered what the Doctor had been looking for, after all.

Then the smile fell.

Bent into confusion.

"What's wrong?" the Doctor asked.

Seo opened her mouth to answer, but the breath choked in her lungs. Her eyes popped open, suddenly wide and terrified, as she collapsed to the ground, her whole body shaking violently, unable to stop.

"Seo!" the Doctor shouted, lunging for her.

He could feel her whole body shutting down, in his arms. Her hearts stopping. Her organs failing. Everything shutting down, as Seo struggled to keep herself alive.

"Unlock it," the Doctor told her. "Seo! Unlock it!"

Seo couldn't speak.

Just kept mouthing one word, over and over again.

 _No. No. No. No._

The Doctor, in desperation, grabbed hold of her head. Tried to sink into her thoughts, undo the damage. But the damage was rapidly multiplying. More and more. Like some time bomb nestled deep down in her psyche had gotten triggered, and was tearing through her, trying to make sure she was dead for good. Dead and not coming back.

The Doctor didn't notice the outside world.

Didn't notice that the door had been unlocked, or the barricade broken through.

Didn't notice until he found himself yanked away from Seo's mind, to discover Romana now in the room, a medi-starter in her hand, administering an injection into Seo's system.

"I don't know what you think you're doing, Doctor," Romana was lecturing him. "But you can certainly be infuriatingly ridiculous at times. You know that?"

The Doctor faltered.

Then regained his composure, as he saw Seo breathing normally, again. Saw the color start to return to her cheeks, and the convulsions stop.

"Time bomb," the Doctor said. "In her mind. Shutting her down, when we tried to shut off the simulation. I saw…!"

"Simulation?" Romana said. She looked at him. Then sighed. "Oh, dear. What rubbish theory has she convinced you to believe?"

"I…"

"You had her shut off anything in her mind she didn't recognize, didn't you?" Romana stood up. Crossing her arms, leveling an irritated glare at the Doctor. "And you never considered that she doesn't actually _know_ all of what she has in her mind?"

The Doctor hesitated.

Remembering Glory and the Cyberplanner.

Right. He should have thought of that.

"I told you I wouldn't allow harm to come to her, Doctor," Romana said, with a sigh. "And I stand by that." She helped him to his feet. "But if you're going to insist on killing her…!"

"This planet isn't… real," the Doctor said. Looking around himself. "We're not really here. You _know_ we're not really…!"

Romana gave an irritated sigh.

"And is that what your senses are telling you?" Romana demanded. "Can you feel the planet moving? Can you feel the gravitational pull of the suns? Can you feel the psychic pull of Time Lords all around you, inside your mind?"

The Doctor hesitated.

He could.

"Yes, but Seo saw the Time Lords as…" the Doctor started.

"She's dimensionally complex," Romana said. "Sensitive to shifts in the universe around her. You _know_ we're not in the same universe, anymore. _You_ put us here!" She pointed to Seo, who was being rushed off to the medical facility, to receive attention. "Do you really think she wouldn't pick that up, somehow?"

This was a good point.

But not quite good enough to keep the Doctor off his guard.

"You know a lot about her," the Doctor noted. "Before we ever showed up. Even knew her name — before I told it to you." He stepped towards Romana, staring her down. "So wherever we are, or whatever this is about — it stops here, Romana. Before anyone else gets hurt."

Romana seemed more and more frustrated with the Doctor.

Her frustration creeping out across her face, just the way it had, back when they'd been traveling together.

"You really think we're going to kill you? After everything you've done? After saving Gallifrey?" Romana bunched her hands into fists. "For a clever man, Doctor, it amazes me how often you can be an idiot."

She turned, then, and stormed off to check on the girl who'd nearly died.

"Look around yourself, Doctor," Romana called back to him. Pausing in the threshold, to glance back over her shoulder. "You know who we are. Did you really expect us not to know, the second she turned up, exactly who and what she is?"

Then Romana turned.

And left.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Hey everyone!

Since it's vacation season, here are some friendly tips from a hotelier on things you can do to make the hotel staff not hate you:

1\. Do not book a room, then cancel, then book again, then cancel again, etc. - all in about 5 minutes. (I'm putting these reservations into our computer system manually, here, people! Every time you put in your reservation and cancel it, it loses your information and I have to type it all over again!)

2\. Please stop chewing us out and claiming we are substandard and have misrepresented the hotel, just because you don't want to pay the cancellation fee, and your wife/girlfriend is upset you didn't book a room at the Ritz Carlton! (Especially if we gave your children candy and pampered them!)

3\. DO NOT, for the love of God, EVER book a cheap room and then special request a fancy one for the same price. I routinely get people booking a "Budget Double Smoking Room" which is very clearly "not remodeled" and is about half the price of a normal room, who put in a special request that says, "Need non-smoking room. Also, need Queen Deluxe room, newly remodeled. Please do this for the same price." THE NUMBER OF TIMES I SEE THIS IS INSANE! Don't people read?!

4\. If you request something, please request it nicely, and respond nicely. I had a guest request something, which I gave her for free even though it usually costs money, which is when she barked at me that she wanted this list of other stuff for free, too. Ugh. Another guest wrote a request that went something like, "I want a room that's clean, and I mean CLEAN, and we need it quiet, and I really do mean QUIET, really, really quiet and CLEAN." (Yes, they really did use all-caps for certain words.) I mean, it's like you're implying that the hotel is going to be bad before you ever arrive! How insulting is that?

5\. If a hotel says they don't allow pets, please don't bring pets. Our hotel doesn't allow pets because I do the laundry, and I have pet allergies. Your failure to adhere to our rules is actually causing me physical pain.

6\. Not every hotel has you pay upfront. Hotels like ours ask for your credit card just to reserve the room, but don't actually charge it until you show up. Please stop throwing hissy fits claiming that we're ripping you off and charging you twice. We're not.

7\. Remember that the hoteliers do read the reviews you post about them online, so if you decide to put in personal comments and slurs against them, you will make them feel sad and upset (and may make them cry - a few people have made me cry, after all).

In short, remember that hoteliers are real people who do really care about their hotels, and some of whom also write fanfics and novels in their spare time, and are sometimes so tired that they literally can't stand up at the end of the day. So please treat us with respect.

(Sorry, it's been a hard day at work today. Forgive my frustrations.)

Enjoy!

(On a different note, for a long time I was going to call this story "Baby Panda" due to this section. I love that metaphor!)

* * *

After they stabilized Seo's condition, they released her into the Doctor's care.

On the provision that the girl remained under Romana's close supervision, of course. And that the Doctor — as Romana put it — didn't try to do anything else infuriating.

"No, this world _isn't_ a simulation," Seo confirmed, when they finally got a chance to be alone, together. She put her hand up to her head. "It didn't feel like… a computer or a program or a psychic projection. Nothing like that. It was…" She shook her head. "I don't know."

"It nearly killed you," the Doctor pointed out.

Seo rubbed her head, even more. "I think… _I_ did that," she admitted. "I'm not sure why. It just sort of… happened. I hit something I didn't recognize, like you said, and I just… wanted to tear everything in my head apart. Rip up all the connections until…" She drifted off.

Then turned back to the Doctor.

Her eyes fearful.

"You don't think… this is something Twilight left behind, inside my head?" she whispered. "Something to make me want to kill myself?"

It was a possibility.

The Doctor had to admit that.

"You know what it's like to be on a real planet," the Doctor said. "Can you feel this planet? Does it feel real? Is there anything wrong about its movement? About the suns? Anything at all that might make this an illusion?"

Seo hesitated.

Then shook her head.

"It… feels real," she admitted. Then, quickly, added, "But it can't be real! Can it? It just… can't!"

The Doctor looked into the distance. At the landscape of Gallifrey, down below them. Spilled out beneath the twin suns, just as he'd remembered it. "Unless… it is real. Unless it is Gallifrey."

"It's not," Seo insisted.

"Not this place, no," the Doctor agreed. "But… the thing about Time Lords, Seo, is that they're clever. Infinitely clever. If they wanted something from us, something they didn't think we'd be prepared to give, why not create a fake version of Gallifrey where everything is how I remembered it from before the War, and all the Time Lords are happy to see me and eager to forgive — and implant it directly into our minds? They could get me to tell them anything. Get me to do anything."

Seo thought about this.

Then stuck out her tongue. "Nah."

The Doctor shoved his floppy hair out of his eyes. "Oh, and I suppose you have a better idea, Miss I've-Never-Been-To-Gallifrey-Before?"

"I've still never been to Gallifrey," said Seo. "I'm not on Gallifrey. Neither are you. This isn't Gallifrey — in fact, we probably haven't even left the universe! Do you know how difficult that would be, just using me, without my aunt around to back me up?"

"Then why are _you_ here?" the Doctor asked. "They know you're dangerous. They know you can see the truth. Why would they have risked bringing you here, instead of, say, Clara?"

Seo gritted her teeth. "Because if Clara had told you this wasn't Gallifrey, you'd probably have _listened_ ," she muttered. "Since I said it — you acted dismissive and ignored me."

"Rubbish!" the Doctor dismissed. "I never act…!" He paused. Reconsidered. "All right. Fair point."

"And, besides, it's… obvious why I'm here," Seo said. She blushed. Looking around herself. "We're pandas."

The Doctor did a double-take.

"We're _what_?!"

"The way they're all staring at us," Seo said, gesturing at the people around them. "The way they're all looking at you, all the time, like you're about to perform some trick. We're pandas. In our 'natural environment'."

The Doctor looked around, again.

He could see it, this time.

She was right.

"And, let's face it, while people do come to the zoo to see Mr. Big Panda," Seo continued, "a _lot_ more people come to see the exhibit when you've got Mr. Big Panda and… little baby panda."

The Doctor shifted his gaze back down to Seo.

The petite girl, her big brown eyes wide and curious and scared, her blond hair falling around her shoulders, the little hundred-year-old Gallifreyan…

And himself, just beside her.

A thousand. Old. Wise. Done everything, been everywhere, seen everything.

"Big Panda and Baby Panda," the Doctor repeated. Dully. "See the Last Time Lord in the universe — in his natural habitat —"

"—and the cute little Time Lady baby he brought with him," Seo agreed.

The words felt bitter and tasteless.

Made this whole world feel like a very complicated cage. Sealing him inside ever encroaching bars.

But then the Doctor shook his head. No. No, that still didn't make sense. Not at all!

"Then how did they know about Gallifrey?" the Doctor insisted. "The Moment? No one knew about that! There was no way they could have…!"

"They pulled all this from your memory of it, didn't they?" Seo said, waving her hand around to gesture at the world surrounding them. "Obviously, that bonus memory came with it! When you remembered your home, you also remembered crossing your own timeline and…" Seo stopped. Made a face. "I still don't know if I believe you really did that."

"I showed you the memory, in my mind, of me doing it!" the Doctor insisted. "What more proof do you need?"

Seo opened her mouth to speak.

But never got the chance.

As alarms blazed, all across the capital. Time Lords racing around, outside. All shouting for the Doctor.

And the Doctor watched, as — just in front of him — the air shimmered. Rippled, tingling with the tang of a transmat beam.

Just like the Sontarans, when they'd invaded.

But they'd had to get him to take down the transduction barrier, first! Even the Daleks had been unable to strike at the capital while the transduction barriers were up and the dome was intact! There was no way that…!

The shimmering stabilized, revealing a solid creature.

A dark, insectoid-like creature, but large and toothy with long, twiggy limbs and a twisted black body. It held a gun, aimed at the Doctor and Seo, in its forearms.

"Down!" the Doctor shouted, throwing himself and Seo to the ground.

The shot only just missed them.

But the creature screamed, as a Time Lord stepped out, and shot the creature in the back. It crumbled, dead, to the floor.

"You… killed him," Seo said. Staring at the body, in horror.

The Doctor, however, was too busy staring at the Time Lord with the staser to pay much attention to the creature. "Coordinator Narvin?!"

It was impossible, of course.

Utterly impossible.

"If you plan to help us, Doctor," Narvin replied, haughtily — just as he always used to — "then I suggest you and the girl come with me. These creatures are appearing all over the capital."

"Just like the Sontarans," the Doctor muttered. "What a coincidence." He heaved himself up onto his feet. "And you, Narvin… you're still alive, then?"

Narvin stared at him, confused. "Is there a reason I shouldn't be?"

You could say that.

"Well…" said the Doctor.

Seo, meanwhile, had raced over to the dead creature. Trying to check for any signs of life.

"Seo," the Doctor said, gently. Put a hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at him.

And knew what he meant.

Anger burned deep in her eyes, as she grabbed up the gun from the creature. Pointed it straight at Narvin.

"Stop this," Seo warned him. "Or I'll shoot."

Narvin held up his hands. "Please, we don't have time for this!" he insisted. "This isn't a drill. We're in danger."

"You shot him in the back," Seo said. Not putting down the gun. "Without a word."

"He was going to kill you!" Narvin shouted.

"Seo," the Doctor said, very gently, "put down the gun."

Seo snapped her head up to the Doctor. "That creature," she hissed. "It wasn't fuzzy. It was _real_."

That made the Doctor do a double-take.

"What is she talking about, Doctor?" Narvin demanded. Then, frustrated, added, "Listen, both of you. This is a real invasion. The Colofontairs have been threatening us for a while, now. We haven't had a chance to build up our defenses, after the war!"

The Doctor looked up at him. Coordinator Narvin. The Doctor had been so sure that he was dead. The Doctor _remembered_ hearing him die, at the Battle of Poilon. Yet here he was. Alive and well.

Seo said he looked out of focus.

Like he wasn't really there at all.

A memory.

Yet these creatures… they were real. And these fuzzy-looking Time Lords were _really_ killing them.

"Colofontairs?" Seo shook her head. "Did you take that from _my_ memory, somehow? Because I never even knew what they looked like. Just a brief reference my sister made to them… and that's it."

"What?" said Narvin.

"Do these guns of theirs actually work?" Seo demanded of Narvin. "Have you given any of these so-called 'invaders' a fighting chance? Or did you just capture them and shove them in here, terrified and unsure what to do, as you massacred…?"

Narvin screamed.

As one of the Colofontairs shot him, full on, and he tumbled to the ground. The other Colofontairs all storming, behind, marching in unison, as they gunned down anyone they could find.

Seo squeaked.

Her gun clattering to the ground.

"Suppose that answers that," the Doctor muttered. Watching, as Narvin's body shone, then burst into a golden energy, as he regenerated. He raced forwards, pulling the new Narvin out of danger, as the Colofontairs shot at him, again.

"Not dead, and with regenerations left," the Doctor muttered. "Very curious." He went very still, as the Colofontairs gathered around himself and Narvin. Guns armed and pointing straight at him.

Across the room, they'd done the same to Seo.

"Give us your leader, and surrender," one of the Colofontairs demanded. "This world is now under the command of the Colofontair Empire."

Even more curious.

Perfectly happy to shoot Narvin, but reluctant to shoot himself and Seo.

"Do you know where you are?" Seo was asking them. "Do you know what this world is called? Do you remember coming here?"

The Colofontair responded by striking her, hard, with the butt of his gun.

Seo cried out, stumbling.

"There was no need for that!" the Doctor shouted.

Seo spun around, jumping at the Colofontair that had struck her. The others frantically began to wrestle her off of him, managing to restrain her.

Seo struggled, trying to break free from their grips. But… couldn't.

One of the Colofontair charged up his gun, pointing it right at Seo's head. "Give us your leader and surrender," the Colofontair demanded of the Doctor, "or the girl dies."

"No super strength," the Doctor muttered.


	6. Chapter 6

Seo was already trying to scream at the Colofontairs to listen to her, because someone was playing them all at this, trying to pit them all against each other when they should be on the same side — but the Colofontairs weren't listening.

They were all focused on the Doctor.

As if _he_ were in charge.

And why would they possibly think that?

"She's got a point," the Doctor said. "'This world', you said. Well, look around you." He gestured. "This world look familiar?"

The Colofontair clearly didn't have a clue what he was talking about.

"What about me?" the Doctor said. "Or Narvin? Good old Narvin, over there! You shot him. He regenerated. Ever heard of a species like that?"

Suddenly, like a light switch had just turned on, in their brains, the Colofontair seemed to get it.

Their chatter turning excited, quiet.

"We thought you no longer existed," the Colofontair said. "Only one… maybe two left."

The Doctor waved his hands. "Ah, yes, well, long story," he dismissed. "But, since you now know where you are, the real question is… why waste time blowing apart all these people who'll just come back to life, anyways… when I could take you right down to the TARDIS bays and let you have your pick of the time machines?"

That seemed to interest the Colofontair.

"Doctor, you can't!" Narvin shouted. He lunged forwards, yanking the Doctor back, easily. "Our secrets in the hands of these… intruders!"

The Doctor glanced back at Narvin. Amused.

"All that, and still no regeneration sickness?" the Doctor asked. "You're a bit of an impossibility, Narvin. I'll give you that."

"I will not allow you to get yourself killed," Narvin countered. "You have no regenerations left. I still have several."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure that, technically speaking, you didn't, which is why you're supposed to be dead," the Doctor replied. "And how did you know how many regenerations I have left? Have you been counting, even from another universe?"

"We all know," said Narvin.

"Just like you all trust me," the Doctor countered, "because I saved you. And am clearly the greatest hero who ever lived."

Narvin hesitated.

Then let the Doctor go.

"Much better!" the Doctor said. "Now. Narvin. How about you go get Romana?" He adjusted his bow tie, thoughtfully. "And… while you're at it… go gather up Leela, Andred, Torvald, Hossack, the Corsair, and any other dead Time Lords you've got hanging around. Meet us down in the TARDIS bays." He pat Narvin on the back. "There's a good man."

The Colofontairs all turned their guns on Narvin, trying to shoot him before he could leave.

But failing.

They turned their guns on the Doctor. "You sent for backup. This is an ambush."

"Only if you dawdle here," the Doctor replied. "After all. If you get your hands on a time machine, you can just go back and make sure this never happened! And… honestly…" He grabbed the end of the gun pointed at Seo, and redirected it towards himself. "If you're going to threaten one of us, might as well make it me. She's the one with regenerations. I'm clean out."

Seo stared at him. "You're… what?"

"Ah, yes, that's right, you didn't know that!" He smiled. Then took Seo by the hand. Carefully disentangling her from the Colofontair, who reluctantly let her go. But still kept the two of them covered.

"I thought you had one left!" Seo insisted, as they walked down the corridor. "Where did that one go?"

"Dalek shot me, back when the Earth got moved to the Medusa Cascade," the Doctor replied. "Didn't change my face. Still regenerated. That counts."

Seo blinked.

Frowned.

"Earth… got moved? By Daleks?" Seo thought back. Shook her head. "Definitely don't remember that."

"No? Well, maybe you were away," the Doctor said, uninterested. "Happens sometimes." He stopped, auto-corrected her, as she started going the wrong way down a corridor. "Looks like you have an idea of where the TARDIS bays are, already, though."

Seo seemed confused.

"Wrong idea, of course," the Doctor informed her. "Better stick by me, or you'll get lost. Oh, and… do me a favor, Seo, and open this door." He gestured at a locked door, in front of them.

Seo wrinkled her nose. "What's wrong with your screwdriver?"

"Nothing," the Doctor replied. "I just thought, with you being so strong… you could get through it. No sonic required."

Seo quirked an eyebrow at him. "Have _you_ ever tried punching through solid metal? It tears up your hands! Not pleasant."

The Doctor sighed.

Then mimed yanking the door open from the side, forcing it so it opened despite the lock.

Seo's eyes went wide. "Oh. That." She stepped forwards. Then hesitated. Turning around to face her father, again. "But what if I use my Glory strength and then I turn evil and…?"

"Just try," the Doctor said. "Go on."

Seo swallowed. Then turned back to the door, grabbed at the crack in the side, and shoved.

Nothing happened.

Seo shoved again. Put more and more of her strength into it. Then squeezed her eyes shut, back bent, feet sliding on the floor as she used every single ounce of strength she had.

The door didn't move.

"So definitely no super strength," the Doctor said. "Even though, by this point, this far down into Gallifrey's core, you should have recovered what you lost from bringing us here. That's what I thought." He whipped out his sonic, flipped it through the air, then buzzed it at the lock.

Which clicked open.

"And that shouldn't have happened, either," the Doctor commented, as the door slid open for them. "They always deadbolt the TARDIS bay. Susan and I spent five minutes working out how to open this door, last time I—"

The Doctor stumbled, tripped over the ground.

Seo just barely caught him. Set him upright.

Behind them, the Colofontairs all began to spread out. Racing forwards, trying to bash their way into the TARDISes standing around.

"You know, I've never heard of the Colofontairs, Seo," the Doctor whispered, as she helped him stand up straight. He felt a little dizzy, down here. Didn't quite know why. "But _you'd_ heard of them."

Seo nodded.

"And you knew their exact name," the Doctor said. "Enough so that you thought they'd gotten it from your memories. They didn't turn up calling themselves the Color Fountains. Or the Californians. Or… whatever other way you could find to muck up their name. They were the name you knew."

Seo's face turned bright red.

"Cauliflowers," she muttered. Scraping her shoe against the ground. "I was planning to call them the Cauliflowers, when I got the chance."

"But if they did get it from your memory, then how did they know the right name?" the Doctor continued. "How could they…?" He stopped. Frowned. "Sorry. When you got the chance?"

Seo blushed even deeper.

"You know the names," the Doctor muttered.

"Not always," Seo insisted. "Sometimes, I really do muck them up by accident. Just not… this time."

The Doctor brushed some hair out his eyes. Sighing.

"Why?" he asked her.

"Because… Mom used to," Seo admitted. She looked down at the ground. "And when I do it, I feel like… maybe I can be like her."

The Doctor looked down at her. Then wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"You already are," he said. "Never forget that."

They looked up, as the Colofontairs around them all began to shout, angrily. Their group turning into an angry mob.

One of them grabbed the Doctor by his shirt collar, dragging him forwards.

"You lied to us!" the Colofontair shouted. Pointing to the TARDIS nearest them. "Empty!"

Seo and the Doctor turned.

And stared.

The TARDIS door had been busted in. Revealing… an empty box. Plywood, looked like.


	7. Chapter 7

Another group of Colofontair smashed through a second TARDIS. Door torn off its hinges. Revealing the same plywood interior.

"They're all empty," Seo said.

She ducked one of the Colofontair, reaching out towards her. Rolled past another group. Then sprinted for the blue police box, on the far side. Grabbed up a gun from the nearest Colofontair, and shot the door open.

The Doctor stared at the inside of his TARDIS.

Wood.

Empty wood.

"That's impossible," the Doctor insisted.

"You mean to say you didn't know?" the Colofontair roared at him.

"I didn't!" the Doctor insisted. Actually, he'd been planning to lead the Colofontair down here, let them try but fail to force their way into a TARDIS, then open up his own ship, and get them all away from this madhouse.

But it seemed that was impossible.

"Check the time rings!" the Doctor instructed Seo. "Check everything here! Does _any_ of it work?"

Seo and the Doctor raced around the whole bay. Picking up objects and poking and prodding at them. Shaking their heads after each, in turn.

"Nothing," said Seo.

"Props," the Doctor muttered. "They're all… props."

A sinking feeling sprouted in his chest.

As he realized… he hadn't seen a single thing, yet, that was bigger on the inside than it was on the outside.

"As if someone tried to recreate Gallifrey," the Doctor muttered, "but didn't know how to build any of its technology."

"What was that?" the Colofontair shouted. It dragged him closer. "You said this was the home of the Time Lords!"

"Yes, all right, calm down!" the Doctor insisted, thrusting himself away from the insectoid creature. "I'm still working it out. Don't rush me." He smoothed back his hair. Thinking furiously. "They know we can regenerate. But don't know about regeneration sickness. They know how many lives we have. Don't know how to build technology bigger on the inside. And still managed to take away Seo's super-strength to…"

He didn't have time to reason it all out, though.

Before the Colofontair grabbed him up, yet again. Another placing a gun by his head.

"We were tricked by one of your kind, before," the Colofontair snarled. "You will not trick us, again!"

"Tricked by…? Oh, you mean _her_! Yes, right — Seo said." The Doctor looked at the gun by his head. "You know, you keep threatening to shoot. And you keep failing to follow through. Why is that?"

The Colofontair seemed confused.

Then, as if only just realizing that this was correct, began to press down on the trigger. "Very well, then."

Seo jumped out at him.

But she needn't have bothered. The Doctor could have told her as much, already.

The sharp sound of staser beams rang through the air, one hitting the creature aiming his gun at the Doctor, so that the creature dropped to the ground. The one restraining the Doctor turned its head, but then dropped, a staser bolt felling it, as well.

The Doctor tried to catch his footing, but overbalanced.

Tumbling to the ground.

Romana offered him a hand back to his feet.

"Romana," the Doctor said, accepting the hand. "How did I know the moment my life was in _actual_ danger, you'd just magically turn up?"

"We've been a little busy defending the rest of the capital, Doctor," Romana replied. She sighed, then pushed past him. "If you're not going to help us, at least stop your daughter from attacking us. I still have an invasion to stop."

"My…?" the Doctor spun around.

To discover that Seo was now attacking the Time Lords — unsuccessfully — trying to get them to stop firing at the Colofontairs.

"Oh, dear," the Doctor said. Wading through the fight, and struggling to grab Seo away and calm her down. She lashed out, shoving him down so he fell right through one of the fake TARDISes.

Seo spun around.

Realizing what she'd done.

Then raced over to help him up, make sure he was all right.

"It's a massacre!" Seo said. "They're killing all the Colofontairs! We have to stop them! These Time Lords — they're not even real, and they're murdering—!"

"And how do you know the Colofontair are?" the Doctor asked.

Seo pointed. "Just look at them!" she insisted. "They're—!"

"You don't know how they look," the Doctor pointed out. "How would you know if they were real or not?"

Seo opened her mouth.

But… didn't have anything to say.

"Your perceptions are just as altered as mine," the Doctor said. "You thought you had super strength. You don't. You thought these villains were real — but they were just a little too perfectly formed to be real, don't you think? Shot a Time Lord, and didn't work it out until I told them. Invaded Gallifrey just the way the Sontarans did. Would threaten the two of us, but refused to kill us. And…" Looking at the plywood TARDIS surrounding him. "Just how long does it take them to break into a plywood TARDIS, anyways? What, were they just milling about, waiting for the two of us to finish our conversation, before they could make their 'discovery' about the props?"

Seo didn't know what to say.

"This isn't just what _I_ want, it's what _you_ want, too," the Doctor said. "The invasion. The chance to be a hero. The chance to run around fighting back evil monsters, but still show mercy and compassion even in victory — proving you can be like your mum. The chance to belong!"

Seo's hands started trembling.

"It's _all_ fake," the Doctor insisted, climbing back to his feet. He leaned against the plywood police box, regaining his breath. "Every single last bit of it. From the TARDISes to the people to the world itself. It's all a trick."

Seo looked around herself.

At everyone killing everyone else.

Then shook her head. "I still can't let them all kill each other like this." She grabbed up one of the Time Orbs from the ground, racing off. "I have to do what Mom would have done!"

"Seo!" the Doctor shouted after her.

But she wouldn't listen. And while part of him was infinitely proud of her for what she did next, the other part was just wondering… how much of this had been set up specifically so she could do it?

How much was she playing into someone else's hands?

Seo ran around, climbed on top of the police box. And, raising up the fake Time Orb over her head — really just a big glass ball — she smashed it down in the middle of the fighting.

The shattering glass made everyone leap away.

And look up at her.

"Just stop this!" Seo shouted at them. "I mean, look at you both! You… Time People… you've just gotten out of some miserable war that almost killed you all. And now you're ready to start one, again?" She pointed at the Colofontair. "And as for you Cauliflower people… you couldn't have hoped to invade a whole planet with… what? Fifty people?" She shook her head. "You didn't even know where you were! What kind of rubbish invasion is that?"

"We claim this world and its time travel technology for the Colofontair—" the Colofontair began.

"Oh, go ahead and take it!" Seo said. "It's all just plywood, anyways. I mean, really — what's the point?"

"They're trying to take our home!" shouted one of the Time Lords. "Just like the Daleks tried to. We will not be invaded, again."

"And you really think they have the manpower to do that?" Seo said. "There are about twenty of them left. At what point does it stop being 'destroying the monsters' and start being 'destroying people'?" She paused. Then, in a softer voice, added, "Mom used to say that."

The Doctor gave a faint smile.

"And what's to stop us from just shooting you?" one of the Colofontair demanded, turning his gun and pointing it at Seo.

Seo put her head to the side. "Because I'll bash your head in before you can," she replied, quite plainly.

The Colofontair laughed.

And Seo, sighing, flipped off the top of the plywood Police Box. Landing right smack beside the questioning Colofontair.

The fight only took a minute.

Super strength or no, Seo was quickly able to duck, dodge, punch, and flip her way around the Colofontair, disarming him in the process, then thrusting him into a whole group of plywood TARDISes.

She finished him off by slamming a plywood plank over his head, so he dropped, unconscious, to the ground.

"Anyone else want to give it a shot?" Seo demanded of the others.

Romana stepped forwards. "She's right," Romana announced. Putting down her own weapon. "The fighting is over."

The Doctor knew the invasion would only end the moment Romana said so.

What he hated was just how smug she looked, when it was all over.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Sorry everyone, but around July 2, 3, and 4, I won't be able to update. This is one of the busiest times for us at the hotel, so I'm going to be very busy. I'll keep going next week.

Happy July 4th, everyone!

* * *

Jack sat in prison.

Feeling even more empty and hollow than he had after he'd left Earth.

"His majesty demands to know why," Minolop demanded. "Why would you murder the hero of our planet?!"

Jack wished they'd just get on with it and torture him, already.

Better that than keep yelling the questions he kept asking himself.

"Why did you kill the Doctor?!" Minolop shouted.

"I don't know!" Jack shouted back. "I don't know why I shot them. Don't know why they didn't regenerate! Don't know why I left that Activator with Gariton, or why I intercepted the Rachar to make sure they landed on the Perfect Harmonious World of Beautip, or…"

He stopped.

Realizing he hadn't quite registered the words that were coming out of his mouth.

But — maybe because of the spores, maybe because of seeing himself with that blaster, in that footage — Jack was starting to remember doing all those things he'd just said.

He remembered intercepting the Rachar ship and sabotaging it, just before Beautip. To sabotage those damn Perfect Worlders — not even the Agency liked them.

The Agency…

Who'd wiped two years of his memories…

"Cheers to you, John Hart, wherever you are," Jack muttered. "Past always catches up with you, you said. Wonder if you knew anything about this?"

Minolop threw cold water in Jack's face.

"Who are you working for?" Minolop asked. "What were you hoping to accomplish? What did you mean by the… Activator? The… Rachar?"

Jack drooped in his chains. "It's what I did at the Time Agency," he admitted. "And I didn't remember, because they wiped my memory."

Minolop's fury rose.

And Jack knew this wasn't a good answer.

"Makes sense, though," Jack said. "After all…" He swallowed, hard. "I get why they'd want to kill Seo."

"The Time Agency," Minolop repeated.

"Yeah, the Agency likes to mop up temporal anomalies," Jack said. "And Seo's always tying her own personal timeline into knots. It's so humdrum for her to run into someone taking revenge for something she hasn't done, yet, that she just kind of shrugs it off." He shook his head. "Don't know for sure, but… it'd make sense that the Agency might have decided the easiest way to deal with this… was to make sure I got rid of her."

"And the Doctor?" Minolop demanded.

That was the worst of it.

Jack had an idea he knew exactly why the Agency would want the Doctor dead. Although he definitely couldn't figure out why he'd actually agreed to the mission, and gunned them both down.

He'd never been _that_ bad. Not even at the Agency.

Had he?

"The Doctor was protecting her," Jack admitted. "Every fool knows — you mess with the Doctor's friends, and he comes after you. The Agency wouldn't have wanted that."

Minolop punched him for that.

Jack figured he deserved it.

"You killed the Doctor," Minolop hissed, "and you didn't even have a good reason!"

"Yeah," said Jack. "Looks like I didn't."

He just wished he could remember how they'd gotten him to actually go through with it. Or even just remember what kind of person he'd been back then.

Was that why they'd wiped his memory?

Because they'd turned him into a killer, and they wanted the old Jack back?

"And the Doctor's box?" Minolop said. "His time machine? What did you do with that?"

Jack shot his head up. "The TARDIS? You mean it's not there, anymore?"

"It vanished after the Doctor died," said Minolop. "Is this more of your… 'Time Agency' tricks?"

Probably.

No, actually, that sounded really likely.

It was all making sense, now. Kill Seo, get rid of the anomaly. Kill the Doctor, and you can steal his ship. Get it back to the Agency. Maybe even…

Jack didn't want to think about this, anymore.

He wished they'd just get on with killing him, already. He'd welcome those few minutes of senselessness. Those few minutes of death, before he had to get dragged back to the real world.

"Look, I know you're upset," Jack said. "But how d'ya think I feel? I swore to the Doctor I'd protect her. I swore to myself I'd protect her. And… I'd already killed them. In my own past." He gave an entirely mirthless laugh. "Talk about failure."

"That doesn't make sense," said Minolop.

"Yeah, not to me, either," Jack muttered.

* * *

For some reason, there was a party.

Which was truly baffling to the Doctor, who was pretty clear on the fact that Time Lords didn't generally throw parties. And certainly not this kind of party.

Not the sort with loud music and dancing and nibbles.

"It's traditional of a party on Earth," the Doctor was told. "In honor of the heroine."

That didn't make much more sense to the Doctor.

"She stepped in and stopped the fighting!" Neeloc enthused to the Doctor. Then, after a pause, "I'm surprised that _you_ didn't step in and stop the fighting."

"Yes," the Doctor muttered. Scratching his head. "Now that you mention it… so am I."

He couldn't think of one reason why he hadn't, either.

As if, the moment he'd had the idea, it had been plucked right out of his head.

"Someone wanted Seo to be the star of the show, this time," the Doctor decided. And he had a fairly reasonable idea who. "And I'd been stealing the limelight."

Perhaps that's why he'd felt so dizzy and tired, since that incident.

Like he was dragging his feet, everywhere he went.

"Any sign of Narvin, around here?" the Doctor continued. "I've been looking all around. Thought I should congratulate him on not being dead."

Neeloc stared at the Doctor.

Confused.

"Narvin _is_ dead," Neeloc insisted. "He died during the War."

Looks like they'd worked that one out.

Whoever 'they' were.

"You know," the Doctor said, sipping his drink, " _you_ died, too."

"No," Neeloc replied. Completely sure of himself. "I didn't."

Then turned, and left to join the party.

"No, you didn't," the Doctor muttered. "And you _knew_ that. But Narvin… no one had caught Narvin."

He pondered it over, some more.

Then decided it was time to hunt down Romana. Work out where she had gotten to.

She wasn't at the party.

Neither was Seo.

The Doctor started running, when he worked that out. Didn't know where they'd gotten to, just knew he had to find them. Right away.

Didn't trust Romana. Not with Seo.

He skidded to a stop, panting, as he reached the room in which he and Seo had first woken up. The room with the view over Gallifrey.

The landscape sparkled beneath the moon.

And, just in front of it, Romana was speaking, in a very soft voice, to Seo. Who just sat, staring out at the landscape, a sad look on her face. Listening.

Not a good sign.

"Romana," the Doctor said, leaning against the doorway. "Telling Seo about some other threats? What you got for her this time — vampires in the outlands? Demons in the Academy?"

Romana said nothing, for a while. Caught out. Then, muttered, "Vampires in the lower vaults."

"She was telling me about… the Moment," said Seo, very quietly. "How it was alive and showed up as Rose and convinced you not to use it."

The Doctor stepped forwards. "Seo…"

"A weapon that was alive," Seo said. Her brow furrowed, as she looked out at the landscape. "Like me." Her eyes flicked over to her father. "It actually happened. You actually went back and… undestroyed Gallifrey."

The Doctor barely noticed Romana slip out of the room.

"Yes," the Doctor said, coming over to her. "I did."

"You found out you made a mistake," Seo continued, "and went back in time. Even though you shouldn't have been able to. Even though that point was fixed. You went back, and changed things. So that your planet would be alive again."

"Yes."

Seo looked over at him. Her eyes large, brown, and imploring. "Then save my mom."

The words echoed around the room.

Ringing through the Doctor.

As he knew what the answer would be.

"I can't," the Doctor apologized.

She didn't say anything.

But the look in those big, accusing eyes… that said more than enough.

"I can't!" the Doctor insisted. "I'm sorry, but… she's gone. Whoever was at fault, whatever happened to get her to that point — I can't change it. I can't get her back!"

"You can," Seo said, "if you take your TARDIS to Sunnydale. Right where the portal opened. And materialize it around her at just the right moment."

"People would see," the Doctor insisted. "Big blue box appearing out of nowhere—"

"Then make it invisible," Seo replied.

The Doctor opened his mouth to protest.

Shut it.

A thousand thoughts blazing in his head. A thousand ways he knew it could work. And every way those thousand might tear the universe apart.

"I can't reverse time," the Doctor said. "For a planet, maybe. On rare occasions. But not for a single person. It's… complicated."

"No, it's not. It's simple." Seo turned to him. "She's my mom. Save her."

The Doctor buried his face in his hands. "And don't you think if I could save every single companion I'd lost," he said, "that I would have? But it doesn't work that way. I told Nyssa and Tegan, way back, and I'll tell the same to you. Don't ever ask me to go back in time and save someone. Because I can't do it."

"I'm not a companion," Seo reminded him. "I'm a sentient weapon. Telling you to go back and change things." She crossed her arms. "Apparently, you listen to those."

"I can't save your mum, Seo!" the Doctor insisted. "I'm sorry. I just… can't."

Seo said nothing for a long time.

Then she got up.

"In case you're wondering," she said, "I think your home planet's rubbish. It's ugly and stupid and has way too many ridiculous hats." Her lower lip shook. "Mom wasn't stupid or ugly. She was good and kind and she saved worlds like this all the time. And the universe. And the multiverse." She turned away from him. "Mom's worth 10 home planets."

"She was brilliant," the Doctor agreed. "Wonderful. But I still can't save her."

Seo paused, in the doorway. Glancing back over her shoulder at him.

"I don't believe you."

Then she left.

The Doctor sat in the fake room on the fake Gallifrey. Staring out at the silver contours of his home world. The world he might have saved. Might not have.

He didn't know.

All he knew was… he couldn't save Buffy.

"One thing I'll give you, Jack Harkness," the Doctor said, "you'll flirt with a cactus — but you'll never ask me to go back and save the people you lost. Not even… your own…"

The Doctor stopped.

"Jack," the Doctor repeated. As he suddenly remembered. All of it. Walking with Seo. Them both turning round. The moment the Doctor had known this wasn't Jack Harkness — not yet. The moment the Doctor had shouted at Seo to run.

And the shots.

"Jack, Jack, Jack," the Doctor said. "Now where do _you_ fit into all of this?"


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: Today, one of my employees was hit by a pickup truck and died. I'm pretty upset about this. Skye was a wonderful person, she was kind and caring and thoughtful, and she had her whole life ahead of her. It was a senseless and horrible death, caused by a careless and stupid driver. I can't believe I'm never going to see her again.

This chapter, and this story, are dedicated to her.

Enjoy.

* * *

The Doctor and Seo's deaths were all over the news.

Front page of every newspaper.

They left one for Jack, after they'd finished killing him, that evening. Just so he could spend the rest of the night, and all the next day staring at it. Staring at the dead bodies, on the front cover.

The two dead bodies of his friends.

Way to pile on the guilt.

He stared at it for a long time. Just trying to think of how he could have done it. Why. Trying to remember those two years.

After he'd given up with that, Jack just resorted to staring at the picture and trying to remember them. Missing them, bitterly. Mourning them.

Seeing Seo's dead face… it made him remember the Valiant. Made him remember the Master, as he'd dug Seo's body out of the ocean, trying to force life back into it, unable to admit his defeat.

He'd told Buffy, once, that Seo had beaten the Master by killing herself.

Buffy had been furious. Screaming at him that her baby girl dead was _never_ a victory. Never would be.

"Glad you didn't get to see this, Buffy," said Jack. "If anyone could have found a way to kill me for good, it would have been you, right now. After you'd found out I'd done this."

He spent a long time thinking that, as he stared at the newspaper.

How he'd betrayed the whole damn family.

No one left alive except Dawn and Jenny. Maybe Jenny would come over and do the honors of flaying him, now that Buffy was dead. Or maybe…

"Maybe that's what I gotta do, next," said Jack. Staring down at that photo. "To make this right. I gotta find out what really happened. So I can tell Jenny the truth."

That seemed as good a goal as any.

Least he could help _someone_ in that family. Even if he seemed to be doing a pretty good job of royally screwing up everyone else.

"Better Jenny finds out from me than reading it in the newspaper," said Jack. Already testing the stresses on the chains, and finding a weak spot. If he just… tugged hard enough…

The right chain flew out of its holding on the wall.

Thank God for shoddy government contractors!

He quickly got himself free from the rest of the chains. Scooped up the newspaper, looking down at it, swallowing around a lump in his throat.

"Never thought you'd see your sister dead in a photo on the front page of a newspaper," Jack muttered.

Then froze.

As he repeated his words.

"Never… thought… you'd see your sister… in a photo in any newspaper. At all." His mind racing. "Because Seo doesn't show up in photographs."

Jack tore open the newspaper, to find the continuation article. Saw a frozen frame of the footage in which he'd shot the Doctor and Seo. The frozen frame where Seo's body had fallen.

A body… he could see.

"It's not her," Jack realized. Turning back to the front page, again. Her face. "It's a copy. A duplicate. If it was her… she wouldn't show up. She wouldn't be there."

He threw the newspaper on the ground.

New determination rising up inside of him.

"I knew I was never that bad!" Jack realized. " _That's_ why I took the mission for the Agency! Because I knew I wasn't actually killing them!"

He must have faked the whole thing.

He _remembered_ faking the whole thing.

With increasing clarity, he remembered connecting into the surveillance footage. Altering it. Making sure that instead of them vanishing before they hit the ground, it looked like they'd actually hit. Actually fallen.

Body doubles.

"They're still out there," Jack said. Taking out a hidden gun, and blasting the lock off his prison door. "And that means, I gotta go find them. I gotta go rescue them." He raced out. "If it's the last thing I do!"

First place to look.

The Time Agency.

During those two years he couldn't remember.

* * *

The Doctor found Seo, the next morning.

Long enough that he hoped she'd gotten last night's conversation out of her head. But not long enough to allow Romana to get to her, again, and start convincing her that he could do things he couldn't.

Giving Seo hope, and then making him have to snatch it away from her again!

Whoever Romana was, it wasn't the Doctor's friend.

That was for sure.

"I know where we are!" the Doctor insisted. "What this place is! You were right. Big Panda, Baby Panda. But the people analyzing us aren't sightseers — they're temporal experts."

Seo rolled over, in bed.

Trying to bat him away from her, so she could sleep a little longer.

"Oh, you really are part human!" the Doctor said, shoving the blankets off and pulling her out of bed. "Get up! Rise and shine! No time to lose! We have to escape!"

That seemed to wake her up.

And a few minutes later, she was up and dressed and on her feet, ready to go. Hand-combing out her hair, trying to get the tangles out, as she raced forwards.

"It's Jack!" the Doctor cried. "That was the clue. That was what we'd forgotten. I didn't realize it until I remembered the younger Jack turning up to shoot us."

"Turning up to…" Seo's eyes widened, as she remembered. "Jack shot us!"

"But he wasn't Jack, yet," the Doctor said. "You could tell it just by looking at him. He wasn't wrong. The younger one, not the older." The Doctor hit himself on the forehead. "Stupid, stupid Doctor! Why didn't you work that out sooner? That's why he had no idea what you were talking about, when you mentioned the Activator."

"The Activator?" Seo said. "What about the Activator?"

"Haven't you guessed?" said the Doctor, altering his course, as he followed where she was subconsciously leading him. "Younger-Jack's been intersecting your life for some time, now. I could never quite work out how it all fit together. Not until the moment his younger self popped out of nowhere, and transported us here."

"With that beam!" Seo remembered. She grimaced. "I remember that. It really, _really_ hurt. I think I screamed."

She rounded another corner, and the Doctor followed.

"So where are we?" Seo asked. "And where are you taking us?"

"Me?" the Doctor shrugged. "I'm not taking us anywhere. But the last time you were here, you got round all the transduction barriers. And I'm guessing, somewhere deep down inside, you still know how to do that."

Seo quirked an eyebrow at him. "Last time I…?" She shook her head. "I told you. I've never been to Gallifrey. I thought it was… just… out-of-timey and non-existy!"

"Well," the Doctor said, as he watched Seo manage to crack the code to the room with the transduction barrier in no time flat — almost without thinking about it — "let's just say that the last time you were here, you weren't exactly… yourself."

Seo seemed genuinely shocked when the door opened for her.

But still ran inside and launched herself at all the Time Lords working there. Attacking them with a savagery that made the Doctor think he had to be right about a few little bits of her previous life breaking through.

But Seo won out.

No deaths. Just a few strategic bits of hand-to-hand combat, and everyone in the room was out cold. As if they'd never known what hit them.

He didn't interrupt her, as she began to work the transduction barrier controls, like an expert.

"There," Seo said. Paused. "Except… I don't know what I did or how I did it." She looked up at him. "Am I saving your life, yet? I keep feeling like there's something deep down inside me that's showing me how to do all this, because I've got to save your life."

That was quite kind of Glory.

The Doctor hadn't quite expected that level of benevolence.

"Ah, well, I'm sure it's all you," the Doctor dismissed. "Being brilliant, as always. Although…" gesturing at the unconscious bodies. "…I'm not sure I approve of you doing that."

"I don't think I approve of it, either," Seo agreed, looking down at them.

Then snapped her eyes back up to him, and grabbed him by the wrist.

"Come on!" she called. "We've got to escape! We've got to save your life!"

"One thing, first," the Doctor said. Then locked the transduction barrier room using a little Time Lord trick he had up his sleeve. Encryption code was bigger on the inside.

No Time Lord pretender could hope to beat that.

"Now, run!" the Doctor shouted.

They hadn't even begun to make it out of the Capital before the alarms began to sound. And they could hear the sounds of guards gathering nearby.

"Faster!" Seo cried.

The Doctor raced after her, hard as he could. Must be getting old, because it was getting harder and harder to keep up. He felt himself falling behind, as she tugged him along, behind her.

"Halt!" shouted one of the guards. "You've taken down the transduction barrier without approval. Surrender, or be severely punished."

They swept round the corner, just before a shot could ring through and strike them down. The Doctor suddenly snapping a sharp left, as he redirected Seo. "Lower vaults!"

"Isn't this place a little small for your capital?" Seo asked, as they raced down the stairs.

"Normal version's bigger on the inside," the Doctor replied, barely stopping himself from tumbling downstairs. "Looks like this time, couldn't get it quite right."

"Doctor!" came Romana's voice, from behind them.

But they could already see the skimmers. The Doctor diving into one of them, in the driver's seat. Fiddling around to bypass isomorphic controls, and get it to start.

"But how does this help us?" Seo asked, climbing in, after him. "How does this save your life?"

"The transduction barrier," the Doctor replied, as the guards emerged, and he got the engine to start. "It's supposed to be around the whole planet, not just the capital. Not like this one."

"Someone's trying to keep us in the city," Seo confirmed, as the skimmer bay doors opened, to reveal daylight and red earth, before them.

"More than that," said the Doctor, as the skimmer burst forwards, with life. The guards all opening fire, trying to take the skimmer down. "I don't think the transduction barrier's a transduction barrier at all. I think all that landscape's an illusion. And the transduction barrier—"

"Is the smokescreen!" Seo cried.

As they flew forwards, straight into the daylight.

"Fingers crossed that it works," the Doctor said. Gaining speed.

A lucky shot pierced the side of the skimmer, and the whole thing began to list to the right. The Doctor struggling to keep it in the air.

"Should be through any second, now!" the Doctor shouted.

"And where will we be, when we're through?" Seo asked.

"Where else?" shouted the Doctor. Buzzing at the engine with his sonic. "The Time Agency!"

The skimmer burst with new life, darting forwards through the air. Flying free from the dome, free from the Capital, and right through the transduction barrier that shouldn't be there.

"Geronimo!" the Doctor cried.

Waiting to see what would happen next.


	10. Chapter 10

The problem was, what happened next was that they crashed.

Seo helped him out of the wreck. "They're still after us," she said. "We've got to run."

"Can you see the TARDIS, yet?" the Doctor asked, coughing, as he emerged from the wreckage. "See where we are? Or…?"

He stopped.

As he noticed the area around him.

"Ah. Not the Time Agency, then."

"It looks like it did before," Seo said. "From the view, in the capital. Is this what your home planet usually looks like?"

The Doctor looked around himself.

Red earth. Orange sky. Silver leaves on trees.

He sighed.

"I wish I could say it wasn't," he admitted. "But… nope. This is exactly what it's supposed to look like, on Gallifrey, outside the capital. Right down to the smallest detail."

He couldn't think why.

Just how much of this planet had these people recreated, to keep himself and Seo trapped? And where, exactly, was the Time Agency? Where was his TARDIS?

…had they even taken his TARDIS?

"Keep going?" the Doctor asked.

"Keep going," Seo agreed. Squinting so she could peer through the sand and the sun. "Whatever's out here, they don't want us to reach it. So I think we'd better do just that."

The Doctor smiled.

Sometimes, he could really tell she took after him.

"Come on!" Seo called back, hurrying out into the sand. "Let's go!"

* * *

No one chased them.

No one needed to.

The first obstacle that they encountered was the weather.

High winds swept up, seemingly from nowhere, creating a massive sand storm around them. Sand spurt in their faces. Whipped itself around them, howled in their ears.

"It won't bury us alive," the Doctor insisted, keeping a tight hold on her hand. "They might make us suffer, but they won't let us die. We've already seen that."

Seo stumbled.

And the Doctor turned. "Seo?"

Seo looked up at him. Her teeth chattering, shivering as if from cold. "Can… I borrow your coat?"

They went on. Into the storm. Despite every instinct they had in them, despite every scrap of common sense, they continued into it. Letting the storm tear at their skin and make them ache… but the Doctor had been right.

It didn't kill them.

At least… _the storm_ didn't.

They slowed, as Seo began to feel sluggish. Her face flushed, her teeth chattering, her head swimming with fever.

"You need to stop and rest!" the Doctor told her.

What she really needed was water.

But the settlement was too far away. And every step forwards that they took, Seo seemed to get worse and worse.

"Have to go on," Seo gritted, through her teeth. Trying to push forwards. "Have to… get out. Have to… save…"

But she couldn't go on.

The Doctor knew it.

She only managed a few steps, before she collapsed into the sand. The Doctor scrambling to pick her back up.

"We have to turn back," the Doctor said. "It's our only hope."

Seo shook her head, struggling out of his grip. Falling to her hands and knees, in the sand. "They'll kill you."

"Haven't so far." The Doctor knelt down, beside her. "But they might kill _you_ , if we don't. And you've got too much life left in you to die, now."

Seo looked at him.

Terrified.

"I… don't want you to die," Seo said. She huddled into his coat, trying to seek warmth. "Maybe they won't need Big Panda anymore, when they've got Baby Panda to drive in the crowds."

"Baby Panda can't fly Big Panda's TARDIS," the Doctor reminded her. "And Big Panda's TARDIS doesn't go on temper tantrums all the time when she doesn't get her way."

He was expecting at least a smile out of her, from this.

But she just tugged his coat tighter around herself.

They managed to turn back. Make it a little ways back towards the capital. The wind dying down around them, with every step back towards their prison.

By the time the storm was gone, Seo had passed out.

The Doctor bent down. Sweeping her into his arms, as he struggled to carry her the rest of the way. But even without the wind and the storm, she grew heavier and heavier with every step.

He found himself panting, stumbling forwards out of sheer willpower.

He was about half-way back to the capital when he found… he couldn't go any further. Just didn't have any energy left to use up. He stumbled, fell down into the sand. Barely able to keep Seo in his arms, where she groaned, her face still flushed and feverish.

He heard the sound of the skimmer before he saw it.

Didn't have to look up, to know who it was.

"Need a lift home?" came Romana's voice.

* * *

The moment Seo re-entered the capital, her fever broke. Almost right on cue. She was immediately rushed to the Mortal Coil Hospital Complex, and admitted there.

The Doctor stood by Seo's hospital bed.

Watching her, unconscious. But stable. As she lay in a hospital on a fake version of a world he'd just undestroyed. And all he could feel, looking at her, was a horrible gnawing emptiness, deep down inside him.

Not again.

Not another.

Romana came by to see him. Offered him some water.

He took it. Sipped it. Eyes never leaving Seo. "You'd think it would be easier," he remarked, idly, "when it's not really your child. But… it isn't. Not at all."

"Isn't she yours?" said Romana.

"Some other me," said the Doctor. "Some other Doctor, in some other timeline, living some other life. He's dead, you know. That whole universe is dead."

Romana nodded, slowly.

"And her mother?" she asked, softly.

"I'm sure you know all about that, already," the Doctor said. Hand tightening around the water glass. "Seo thinks it's her fault, you know. If she ever forgives me for not going back in time and saving Buffy… that'll be why. Because she think it should be her cross to bear, not mine."

"Shouldn't it be?" Romana said.

The Doctor turned.

Looked his once-friend right in the eye. If this had really been Romana, she'd never have asked that. If this had really been Romana, she would have known. She would have understood.

"Stop hurting Seo," the Doctor demanded. "Whatever this is about, you've got me. You don't need her."

"I have no intention of harming Seo," Romana replied. " _You're_ the only one doing that."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at her.

Didn't dare dignify that with an answer.

Romana sighed. "Perhaps it's time… we talked," she said. "In private."


	11. Chapter 11

The Doctor had been expecting Romana to come clean the moment they were alone together, in her office. But instead, she just sat down, and began to speak as if nothing had happened.

As if the fake TARDIS bay and the fever and the sandstorm hadn't happened.

"We should discuss Seo's placement at the Academy," Romana explained. She clasped her hands. "I assume you want her in the Prydonian Chapter, of course. That'd be the logical place to put her. But I won't—"

"You can stop pretending, now," the Doctor interrupted. "You're not Romana. And this isn't Gallifrey."

Romana tried to look shocked. "I don't—!"

"Oh, give it a rest!" the Doctor said. "The TARDIS bay with the prop-TARDISes. The people who aren't really people. The capital that isn't bigger-on-the-inside. And then there's you. Able to manipulate every single person here."

Romana said nothing.

"So who are you?" the Doctor demanded. "Who are you working for? And what are you working towards? Seo thinks this is just some simulated environment, like pandas in a zoo — but you're perfectly happy to threaten her life to make me cooperate. Not the other way round." He threw his arms open. "So — you want me? Here I am. Now, what do you want me for?"

Romana was quiet for a long moment.

Then, in a lower voice, "It's less about what we want from you, and more about… what you want _for her_."

The Doctor blinked. "Sorry?"

"Well, let's face it," Romana said. "We both know what Seo really is. Who she really is. How she's constructed. If this _were_ the real Gallifrey, they'd call her an abomination. A freak. At best, they'd throw her out. At worst… either the Anomaly Vault or the Oubliette of Eternity." Romana leaned forwards. "She'd never be considered a Gallifreyan, much less a Time Lady. She'd never be like you."

The Doctor stared.

But couldn't deny it.

"But on this Gallifrey, she can be accepted," Romana went on. "She can go to school. Make friends. Maybe even start a family! We'll give her adventure and excitement, we'll give her companionship and happiness. In return for your cooperation, Doctor, we'll care for her, here. Give her everything you ever wanted her to have."

"Care for her?!"

"You're on your last life," Romana replied. "I'm sorry, but… even you know the end's coming for you, soon. Seo's lost her mum. Her aunt wants nothing to do with her. She's got no other family." Romana pat the Doctor's hand with her own. "No one else can give her what we can. She _will_ be a Time Lady, by the end. We guarantee that."

"Sorry, are you trying to sell me on a school?" the Doctor cried.

He still couldn't quite work it out. Wracked his brain, trying to think of any alien races he might know who go around kidnapping people out of their ordinary lives, so they can sell idealized dream-schools to their daughters.

"Of course not," said Romana.

"Of course not," the Doctor repeated. As it all clicked together, inside his head. "A school implies she'll leave, at some point." He gestured around himself. "This isn't a school. It's a prison."

"It's a very nice one," Romana replied.

"Forget not being in the universe, anymore," the Doctor continued, his mind racing as it made all the necessary connections. "We're not even in the right _dimension_! Those suns, the moon and stars — all illusions. The people — other illusions." He leaned back in his chair. "Where are we? Eternity?"

"Does it matter?"

"Indulge my curiosity, a moment," the Doctor said, putting his feet up on the desk. "I like to work these things out. Like this — this place. You've been working on this for some time, now, haven't you?" He clasped his hands behind his head. "Having to rewrite her personality, using the Cyberleader, so you could see it. The events on Draconia. The spores on Ariffildos. You've been gradually twisting her around so she's visible to the higher dimensions, haven't you? Twisting and twisting, so you can see her. Read her mind."

Romana denied it.

But the Doctor wasn't listening.

"And this place," the Doctor continued. "All these people. Sightseers at a zoo, Seo called them — and she wasn't far off, was she? They're Eternals. Sticking round here so they can leech off all our thoughts. Pretend they are the people we think they are." He grinned. " _That's_ why Narvin turned up! He died after the Eternals fled the War. You lot thought he was still alive."

"Narvin was a… mistake," Romana admitted. "The mistake has since been fixed."

"A mistake," the Doctor repeated, "like the fuzziness. Seo said that all the Time Lords looked out of focus to her. She can normally see when someone's higher dimensional — but you've been mucking around with her perceptions, haven't you? Turning everything higher dimensional into a smudge."

"She's dangerous," Romana replied. "I had to hide certain things from her. Her ability to see where she really was and who was really around her. And all higher technology. No dimensional transcendentalism. Most of the transduction controls have been stripped. Even if she could work out where she was, there is nothing whatsoever she could use to get off-world."

"No escape, and only Eternals for company," the Doctor mused. "What about the Colofontairs? Were they real?"

"Yes," Romana admitted. "But they're not very nice aliens. I scooped them up and brought them here from their voyage to pillage a refugee world. Figured… better to feed them to…"

She stopped.

Shrugged.

"Better to feed them to your little Baby Panda, than let them remain out in the wild," the Doctor clarified, an edge to his voice. "That's what you were going to say, wasn't it?"

"I told you," said Romana. "She's dangerous."

"Oh, yes — dangerous enough that all those higher dimensional sorts are scared of her," the Doctor continued. "They know she can kill them. Terrified them, before, and I don't see why it wouldn't now. But the thing was, with all that twisting and twisting, they still couldn't quite get a grip on Seo, herself!" He leaned forwards, in his chair. "So they constructed someone else. Someone who'd know exactly where Seo was, at all times. Someone who'd be able to control her every action — conscious, subconscious, autonomic and deliberate. Someone who'd be able to make sure she'd never, _ever_ be able to leave or to kill an Eternal. The one person here, besides myself and Seo, who exists in our dimensions, as well."

Romana met his eyes with hers.

"You," the Doctor said.

"Me," Romana agreed. She sat very straight and tall. "Constructed in the form of someone both you and she would trust. It's my duty to manipulate and control the prisoner. To maintain her safety, but also to maintain the safety of the… guests."

"Gawkers."

"Call them what you like." Romana shrugged. "They're not harming anyone. And I thought it would be good for her. I'd hate for her to be lonely, here."

"Who built you?" said the Doctor. "No, don't answer that." Thought a second. Then, "Same people who built the Key to Time, I'm guessing. So that'd be… the Grace."

Romana sighed. "Do you ever get tired of being right?"

"Rarely!" The Doctor scratched his head. Still thinking. "But… what do the Grace want with Seo? She's nothing to them. Never even run into them! What's she done that's so bad that the Grace would create a whole person and a whole fake planet just to keep her trapped?!"

Romana waited for him to answer his own question.

"Ah," the Doctor said. "Someone else asked the Grace for help."

"The Powers that Be came to the Grace, when they fell from power," Romana confirmed. "They told tales of one so dangerous, she could destroy time itself. Destroy all universes. And all realities. Even Eternity. Even the Grace."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "And the Grace believed them?"

"The Grace had their proof," Romana replied. "It was enough. The Powers that Be wanted Seo dead, but—"

"But the Grace were bigger, more multidimensional, and more omnipresent," the Doctor cut in. "And they wanted to make sure the Powers that Be knew it! So! Powers that Be want her dead? The Grace keeps her alive. If only to be a permanent snub to the Powers that Be, so they know who's the _real_ boss."

Romana stood up, pacing the room. "Once again, you are, unerringly, right." She pushed back her hair from her eyes. "Believe me, I have no interest in killing Seo. I was built to contain her and make sure she couldn't hurt anyone. Not to kill her."

"Oh, that's what you were _built_ for, yes," the Doctor replied, jumping to his feet. "But that's not what you're doing." He raced around, so he was directly in front of her. "That fever wasn't intentional, was it? Neither was your draining her super-strength — you expected her to use that against the Colofontair, and I think you were rather surprised when she didn't. Even her seizure, early on, shook you to the core — you nearly killed her." The Doctor looked at Romana, intrigued. "You're draining her power, aren't you?"

Romana cleared her throat. "Not… _hers_."

The smile fell of the Doctor's face.

As Romana nudged him, ever so slightly, and he found himself tumbling down to the ground. Alarmed, as he realized… he was too weak to get back up, again.

Too drained.

"In return for my cooperation, you said," the Doctor muttered. "You're draining _me_."

"Technically, _she's_ draining you," Romana countered. She leaned against a wall, her arms folded. "But she's proved a bit… stubborn. Ever since you led her through that exercise, her subconscious mind keeps trying to shut the process off."

"Save my life." The Doctor chuckled. "Good little Seo."

"Not so good, actually," said Romana. "She's nearly killed herself several times, trying to do it. The seizure. The loss of her super strength. Even the fever — she's making that happen to herself. For you."

"And when you brought her into the capital, you could take over, accelerate the draining process," the Doctor said, "making her fever drop, again."

"I knew she loved you, very much," Romana said. "I was counting on that. It kept you two together. But I didn't realize she'd be suicidal about it." She looked into the distance. "Still. It'll all be worth it, in the end. Trust me. You'll be fine."

"Sounds more like I'll be dead," the Doctor said. Trying but failing to get up, again. "Just what are you planning? What do you want Seo for?"

"Sh," Romana said, leaning down and putting her finger to his lips. "Enough talking. Trust me, you'll find out everything, after I've succeeded."

The Doctor tried to speak, again.

But whatever she'd done, he couldn't say a word. Couldn't make a sound.

"Don't worry. You won't be alone for long." Her eyes flashed, as she squeezed his hand in hers. Gave him a sly smile. "I can feel her. Running here, fast as she can. She's been told I've got you alone with me, and she doesn't trust me." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "Can't you feel it, Doctor?"

He could.

Like a lurch, as Seo slammed open the door. A shudder pouring through him, as he felt every last scrap of energy, every last scrap of life, slowly being funneled into Seo.

"Father!" She surged forwards, shoving Romana out of the way. "What have you done to him?!"

Romana played innocent. Surprised. "He just collapsed! I was checking to see what was wrong with him. Maybe… he caught your fever."

"Or maybe, _you_ did something to him," Seo retorted. "Maybe you've decided that nobody wants to come to the zoo to see Big Panda anymore, and you can just leave it with Baby Panda!"

She stood up.

Facing down Romana, with bitter anger in her eyes.

"But I swear," Seo warned, "if he dies, I _will_ kill you."

Romana didn't answer.

Just watched, impassively, as Seo carried the Doctor away. The Doctor able to do little more than flail, uselessly, against the person who was trying, so hard, to protect him.

The same one who was causing his death.


	12. Chapter 12

Seo stayed by his bed, in the hospital, every single day.

As much as she physically could.

She couldn't understand why he kept getting worse and worse. Or what he kept trying to tell her, flailing around and trying to gesture with limbs that seemed more like wet spaghetti.

But she knew that Romana was trying to hurt him. Last time Seo had let him out of her sight, he'd wound up like this.

So Seo had decided.

She wasn't making that mistake again.

She didn't let him eat anything they gave him before she tested it first. Didn't let them give him any medicine that she thought might be even remotely sketchy.

And, every time Romana even entered the room…

Seo leapt to her feet.

Glaring through cold, dark eyes. Entire body tensed and ready to beat the hell out of this Time Lady if she didn't back away.

"I'm dangerous," Seo warned. "I destroyed my own universe. I wouldn't feel any guilt about wiping out _you_."

"I'm aware of that," said Romana, simply.

But Romana didn't leave.

Just stayed there, completely still, watching them both.

"You really do believe you love him, don't you?" Romana said, at last. Watching Seo with curious eyes. "You honestly want to protect him."

Seo seethed.

But didn't bother to answer — as it was a stupid question to begin with.

"Stop hurting my father," Seo gritted through her teeth.

"I'm not," Romana replied.

Seo almost punched her in the jaw at this.

But managed to keep her cool enough to just grab Romana by her collar and slam her against the wall of the infirmary.

"I said," Seo hissed, "stop hurting my father."

Romana's eyes flicked over to him, a very slight smile on her face. As she watched him, intently focused on his plate of spaghetti, his clever mind reaching for some way to communicate the truth.

"He knows the truth," said Romana. "Why don't you ask him?"

"Because he can't talk," said Seo. "Not since you made him sick!"

Romana's smile remained.

And Seo wondered if there was something she was missing. She dropped Romana, and hurried over, fast as she could. Sure enough, the Doctor was flailing around as if he had something important to say.

"What?" said Seo. "What is it? What have you figured out? Who's trying to…?"

She stopped, as she saw the single long noodle on his plate.

Sculpted into the shape of a "U".

"Me, yes!" Seo agreed. "What do you want me to do? How can I…?"

The Doctor, frustrated, pointed at Romana.

Then at Seo.

"He's telling you the answer to your question," said Romana, advancing on them, slowly. "He's telling you who's really hurting him."

Seo felt her blood freeze.

Staring down at that single "U". And suddenly getting a terrible, gnawing feeling… deep in the pit of her stomach…

"No," Seo breathed. "I can't be…"

"Just look at him," Romana urged. "Since you've begun protecting him, how has he been? How has he looked? Better or worse?"

Seo swallowed, hard.

"You claim to love him," Romana said, "but just being near you is enough to drive him to the brink of death. He's saved the universe more times than you can imagine. Countless trillions owe him their lives. And you think it's fair to let him die just because some selfish little child can't keep her hands off him?"

Tears prickled at the edges of Seo's eyes.

"You sicken me," Romana told Seo. "You sicken _him_. The universe would be better off without you — and you know it. You don't deserve him. You don't deserve anyone. After the crimes you've committed… no amount of grief or pain would be enough to purify your soul."

A tear ran down Seo's cheek.

The Doctor glared at Romana, even more than before. Clearly deciding he'd had more than enough of this.

Romana stepped forwards, her voice lowering. "There's only one thing you can do to help the universe, now, Seo. Save him, by—"

The Doctor fumbled around in his pocket, and pulled out the TARDIS key.

Poked Seo with it.

She looked down. As he showed her the key. Tried to mime at her not to listen to Romana, because there was only one reason why Seo was making him sick. And it wasn't her fault.

Just the fault of one thing inside of her.

Activating without her knowledge.

"The… Key," Seo realized. Wiping away her tears, as she took it all in. "It's the Key! Draining away your energy, when I didn't notice."

The Doctor smiled at her.

Tiredly.

"You are the Key," Romana said, her voice just as cold and cruel as before. "You're killing him. Squeezing the life out of him! And if you have enough of a soul to care if he lives or dies, you'd better…!"

Seo shoved her away, violently.

"I've had about enough of you!" Seo snapped. "Sending me on some sort of perverse guilt-trip, while you activated something inside of me to make me kill my own father! I heard it all before, from Twilight — _you don't deserve to be happy, Seo; you hurt everyone around you, Seo; the only way to save them is to kill yourself, Seo_."

For the first time, a flicker of confusion crossed over Romana's face. " _Kill_ your…?"

"But if I took Father's energy," said Seo, rolling up her sleeves, "then I don't need to kill myself or anything!" She shoved her hands down on his chest, face bent in intense concentration. "I just need to give the energy back!"

"What?" Romana raced forwards. "No, don't…!"

A blaze of energy, so powerful it blew out every single window in the room.

Then Seo dropped to the ground.

Romana just barely catching her, frantically trying to wake her up and get her vital signs to stabilize.

Meanwhile, the Doctor gasped — sitting bolt upright. "I can speak! I can move! I can…!" He doubled over, suddenly, in horrible pain. "Oh, that's very not good."

Romana, for a second, looked between Seo and the Doctor. Torn and confused.

Then dropped Seo to the ground, abandoned her, and instead raced to help the Doctor.

Who was doubled over, even more, feeling an intense and horrible agony washing through him — like something vengeful and angry was trying to tear him to little tiny shreds, and he could barely stand to hold on…

"Tell her who you are!" Romana said. "She knows you stole her lives. She's trying to kill you — but she won't if she knows who you are! Just tell her!"

"Tell…?"

Ah.

And then it all became clear to him. The Doctor suddenly recognized the creeping crawling anger inside of him, and where he'd last seen it. In the Tiberion Galaxy, nestled deep within an intense set of brown eyes, shoving him against the side of a building and nearly strangling him as she yelled at him for hurting her back in Victorian England.

"I… told her… she couldn't get Seo back unless she'd implanted her into all those future incarnations," the Doctor gritted through his teeth. "She did what I said. But couldn't tell herself apart from Seo… so she implanted them both."

"Seo thought she still had the energy she stole from you," Romana explained. "But she didn't! So when she gave you life energy — she accidentally gave you _hers_. Including every regeneration she had in her!" Placed her hands on the Doctor's shoulders. "You've stolen her lives, and Glory will kill you and forcibly regenerate you into Seo, for doing that. But not if she knows it's _you_."

The Doctor reached out to the force trying to race through and kill his body.

Touched it, mind-to-mind.

And felt it… slither away. Easing off. Letting him live.

Romana breathed a sigh of relief. "You're all right," she said. "Thank the seven systems. For a moment, I thought she'd actually…"

The Doctor looked at her, askance. "You know, for someone who was trying to kill me — you're surprisingly concerned about my health."

"I wasn't trying to kill you," Romana insisted.

The Doctor jumped out of bed, grabbing up his sonic screwdriver and scanning it across Seo. "Pulse slowing, breathing shallow, life signs…" analyzing readings, "…not good." He clicked the sonic shut. "You said no harm would come to her, Fake-Romana."

"She did this to herself!" Romana insisted. She grabbed the girl out of the Doctor's hands. Touching her face. "It doesn't matter. I can bring her back. If I just access the energy within…"

Romana froze.

Suddenly confused.

"No," Romana said. "That's impossible. She's… dying. Actually dying! And… I can't stop it."

"Can you slow it?" the Doctor demanded. "Can you do anything for her?! You were constructed by the Grace — you should be able to manipulate her perfectly!"

"I'm trying!" Romana insisted. "If I'd started a little bit earlier…"

The Doctor's face grew dark, at this.

Because she'd abandoned Seo to go over and help him — who could have no doubt worked out the answer for himself, before any harm came to him!

"Oh, well forgive me for thinking your life has more value than hers," Romana snapped, trying her hardest to do _something_ for Seo. "Just because you're a hero, while she's a stain on the universe that deserves to be eradicated."

"A stain on the…?!" The Doctor shook his head. "Do you believe every bit of propaganda from the Powers that Be? Or is this just some twisted obsession with _me_ that I don't know about?"

Romana removed her hand from Seo's forehead. "I've made her death slower, and less painful," she told him. "You might even be able to speak to her, before she dies." Then, under her breath, "Not that she deserves it."

"Not that she…?!" The Doctor decided he was fed up with this. Beyond fed up. And shoved his sonic screwdriver directly into Romana's face. "And I suppose this was the grand plan all along then — eh, Fake Romana? Make her angry and depressed enough that she kills herself, just so I'd get another regeneration cycle — and hope Glory doesn't kill me in the process?!"

"That wasn't the plan," Romana replied. "But it'll do."

His face grew even more thunderous.

"Are you some obsessive, self-deluded fan-girl — is that it?" the Doctor demanded. "So eager to do right by me, you'll throw my companions into a meat-grinder, one by one, and hand me the results? Is Clara next?!"

Romana leveled her gaze at him. Steadily. "Clara is perfectly safe."

"I believe," the Doctor pointed out, "you said much the same thing about Seo, when we first arrived. And now look at her."

"Clara is a good person, and a virtuous human being," Romana replied. "The universe is better for having her in it. To harm her would be sadistic, barbaric, and wrong." She stood up, to face the Doctor. "I would never do that."

The Doctor frowned. Eyes flicking between Seo, dying on the floor, and Romana — certain of a set of convictions… a little too baffling for even the Doctor's quick mind to work out.

"All right," he said, stepping back. "You want to convince me you're looking after the universe? Trying to help me? Then do one thing for my sake." Gestured at Seo. "Save her."

Romana fumed. "I _can't_!"

"Sure you can!" said the Doctor. Threw open his hands. "She drained energy from me before! Make her do it, again. Make her reabsorb her lives."

Romana did nothing.

Just crossed her arms.

"It would kill you," Romana said. "I told it to them, and I'll tell it to you — I'm not going along with the plan if it kills you. You're a hero to the universe, and you deserve to be treated with respect."

"Told it to… 'them', did you?" the Doctor tapped his sonic against his chin. "Yes. I thought there'd be a 'them' somewhere in here. And I doubt 'they' are the Grace."

Romana seemed to realize her mistake. And said nothing.

"Well, let's leave 'them' alone, for now," the Doctor replied, cheerily, "until we've saved Seo, first. Time to bring in the big guns! Your backup plan!"

Romana stared up at the Doctor, blankly.

"Jack," the Doctor prompted.

Still, the blank look.

"Jack! Jack Harkness!" the Doctor insisted. "Former Time Agent! Following Seo around everywhere! Immortal man, can never die, Face of—"

"Oh, the Fixed Point," Romana said. "I… think I've heard of him, once or twice. He's…" Her eyes lit up, as she thought it through. "Yes. Yes, that could work. If I use him… then maybe…"

She looked between Seo and the Doctor.

Then raised up a single finger. "One second," she told him. Concentrated hard — reaching out, through the dimensions.

And disappeared.


	13. Chapter 13

Jack stumbled towards where he'd last left the Doctor and Seo.

But stopped in his tracks, when a regal and rather lovely-looking lady with a gigantic hat appeared, out of nowhere, in front of him.

"Nice hat," said Jack. "Wouldn't happen to have seen—?"

She reached out.

Touched him.

And they both disappeared.

* * *

When Romana re-emerged, Jack was standing right beside her. Looking breathless, a little ragged and quite a bit worse for wear.

But still distinctly Jack.

"What the…?" Jack started, looking around himself.

Then spotted the Doctor.

Face broke into a wide grin — as he raced forwards, and tackled the Doctor into a giant bear-hug. Then kissed him squarely on the lips.

"Steady on, Jack!" the Doctor protested, floundering.

Jack just grinned. "Never been so glad to see you!" He spun around. "And where's…?"

Then stopped. As he saw Seo, on the ground.

"Oh God!" Jack said, dropping down beside her. "What…?"

"Nothing you can't undo with a little CPR," the Doctor said. "Infusion of life energy. Just a dash, to get her through a rough spot." Waggled his finger at Jack. "And no tongue!"

"Wouldn't dream of it." Jack began to compress the chest, and breath into the mouth. The Doctor could see those little tendrils of life force, crawling into her body. Not a lot, but… enough. For now.

The Doctor turned back to Romana. Clasped his hands behind his back. "So! You've never seen this man before? Never used him as part of your plans?" He leaned in, a little. "What was the plan, by the way? Kill her and… what, exactly?"

Seo gasped.

Then began breathing normally, again. Still unconscious. But no longer on the verge of death.

"Kill…?!" Jack said, turning on them.

Romana raised up her hands. "It isn't like that," she said. "I never wanted to kill anyone. It's just… I needed her consent, see. And it was such a small thing to ask of her. She was going to be locked up here for the rest of her life, anyways — so why not? It'd hurt no one! They assured me, Doctor, that you would be completely fine by the end of it."

The Doctor's lips formed a thin line.

As he finally worked it out.

"Ah," the Doctor said, quietly. "So _that_ was your plan."

Jack jumped back to his feet. Alarmed. "Did she just say… Seo was going to be locked up, here, for the rest of her life?"

"Ah, yes! Welcome to the Fake Gallifrey, Jack!" the Doctor announced, clapping him on the back and gesturing around them. "The prettiest prison you'll ever see." His voice went dark. Thunderous. "And the perfect trap to force Seo to undo what her own dad sacrificed himself to put right."

Jack blinked. "Her own dad…?"

"The dimensions, Jack," said the Doctor. "They wanted her to open up the dimensions. Help the Powers that Be start up their little war-across-reality, all over again."

Jack's jaw fell open.

"It's a war against evil," said Romana. "A war that deserves to be fought."

"I should have seen it, sooner," the Doctor muttered. "A body laced through with Seo-Cyberplanner — current-universe technology. Combined with Glory-style old-universe magic." His eyes fell on Seo. "The perfect trap in the Tiberion Spiral Galaxy. To create the perfect control conduit."

"There was no trap in the Tiberion Spiral Galaxy!" Romana insisted. "The only 'trap' was obtaining her consent."

The Doctor regarded Romana, carefully. "So that was how it was supposed to work," he said. His eyes sparkling, as he worked it out. "I see. You really _weren't_ trying to kill me."

Romana shook her head.

"Every ounce of energy you drained from me," the Doctor said, "you placed beyond the dimensional rift. Then, you just had to make Seo guilty enough over killing me to make sure that — in order to save my life — she'd voluntarily tear open the dimensions, again. That's why you told her all those horrible things that made her cry."

"I don't claim to understand it myself," Romana admitted. "But they told me that despite her general psychosis and murderous streaks — she loved you. Enough to give up anything and everything for you. Since she was such a monster, anyways, I figured—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jack cut in, hands raised. "General psychosis? Murderous streaks? Seo?!" He looked between her and Romana. "Am I missing something, here?"

"Exactly what I was thinking," the Doctor agreed. "You do remember she refused to kill those Colofontair creatures, right?"

"Which just proves what a positive influence this place already is on her psyche!" Romana replied. She shook her head at him, sternly. "You can't trick me into believing she's a good, virtuous, harmless person, Doctor. The Grace saw the proof. It's undeniable."

"Proof?" the Doctor asked.

"Trying to destroy the universe, in the Cyberwars," Romana replied. "Or the appearance of the Poilarin on Planet 3! How about the near destruction of the Slayer Line, with her little 'shadow puppets'? How about the poor humans she turned into mindless slaves for generations, on the Lizard Planet — only to plunge that peaceful planet into centuries of bitter warfare! Or the—"

"Oh, God," Jack said. Suddenly going very pale. "Doctor, I remember—"

"Not a word, Jack," the Doctor warned, holding up his hand, sharply.

"No, you don't understand!" Jack went on. "The Rachar. That box with the shadow puppets. The Poilarin! Doctor I remember doing that! I remember causing all of—"

"Sh!" the Doctor snapped turning on him. Made a snapping gesture with his hand. "Sh! Sh! Sh!"

But too late.

Romana took note of this, interested. "You're not lying," she remarked. "I can see in your mind. You really believe you were her accomplice in all those wicked deeds."

"Accomplice?" Jack stormed over to her. "I _did_ those things, all by myself! No Seo, no Doctor, no nobody! Just me, and my stupid greed when I worked for the Time Agency!" He pointed at Seo. "She wasn't involved. _No one_ else was—"

"Let's not get hasty, here," the Doctor broke in.

Jack froze.

Spun back around to face the Doctor.

But said nothing.

The Doctor straightened his bow tie. A gentle ease about him, again, as he addressed Romana.

"So," said the Doctor. "All these horrible things Seo's done. You must have thought she'd be a nasty piece of work when she showed up. Bet you were a bit surprised."

Romana hesitated.

"You fed her the Colofontair for dinner," the Doctor continued, "and she didn't want to kill them!"

"I told you," Romana insisted. "That's because of the positive influence of—"

"Positive influence?!" the Doctor shot forwards at her, index finger in her face. "Have you seen her since she got here? How distressed she's been? How terrified? How miserable? You didn't place her in a prison designed to give positive incentives — you placed her on Gallifrey! And Gallifrey has _never_ been a brilliant place to grow up!"

Romana seemed confused. "But she… she's evil. I know she's evil! She's _Glory_!"

"Glory died the day humanity destroyed the Tiberion Galaxy," the Doctor said. "Glory _is_ Seo. That was her choice. By now, there's so little distinction between the two… that it's hardly worth pressing the point."

"That's what I said," Romana replied. "Seo is evil. I have proof!"

"Yes, you said! But think this through!" the Doctor told her, grabbing her by the head to get it into her thick skull. "Has she intentionally killed a single person or creature since she showed up here? Has she come close?" He shook her head, in frustration. "Your proof was faked, Lady Not-Romana! She's been set-up!"

Romana pulled herself out of the Doctor's grip.

"No," Romana insisted. "That can't be right. The proof came from the Grace, themselves. They'd _know_ if it had been—"

"The Grace don't care!" the Doctor shouted. He threw his hands up in the air, miming a giant. "They're big! Pan-dimensional! Do you think they cared enough to go down and double-check?" The Doctor dropped his hands. "They were told she could be dangerous. They dealt with that. They don't care enough to check if she _is_."

"The Powers that Be, the representatives of all that is good in the multiverse—"

"Are acting for themselves!" the Doctor said. "You know that. You've been helping them!"

"You're wrong," Romana said. "You… you have to be wrong." She pointed down at Seo. "You know what she is, inside! You know how she was constructed! You've seen what she can do—"

"—when other people control her," the Doctor said. "People like the Powers that Be. People like you." His voice lowered, his eyes flashing. "Fake Romana."

"People like Jack," Romana countered, "according to his memories — screaming out loud and clear across this reality." She crossed her arms. "The man who delivered the Activator."

Jack looked down at Seo. His hands trembling. "Doctor, I—"

"Quiet, Jack," the Doctor cut in. He spun back to Romana, and waggled a finger at her. "And that goes double for you." He sighed. "Someone's been awfully clever, here. And I need to think this through."

He began to pace, head bent, eyes fixed on the floor.

"It's the perfect set-up," the Doctor muttered, hands clasped behind his back. "Seo's been traveling with Jack — so if anyone questions the Grace's proof and zips back in time to check who set those events in motion… they'd find Jack. And assume the two of them were accomplices." He switched directions in his pacing. "Higher Powers can't get in and affect our universe like that." He swiveled around, pointing at Romana. "You can." He scratched his head. "But you're naïve and a bit clueless. Probably were constructed only a short time before I arrived here."

Romana didn't deny it.

"The Time Agency?" Jack put in.

The Doctor tapped his finger against his chin. "Possibly," he said. "That certainly might explain your involvement. Although… what they hoped to gain from it… or how they'd know…"

He trailed off.

Deep in thought.

"Information," the Doctor decided. "That's what we're overlooking. Information. Things that no one could know — but somebody did." He whirled around, pointing at Jack. "Your missing two years of memories." He spun on his heel, to point down at Seo. "Her affiliation with Glory." He turned to Romana. "My friendship with your counterpart." He gestured around himself. "And this place."

"Your mind is an open book to the Higher Powers, Doctor," Romana replied, with a shrug. "What you know, we know."

The Doctor ignored her. Instead, thrust two fingers in her face. "Two things. Very tricky to work out. You knew them before I ever turned up." Raised up his index finger. "One. Gallifrey and the Moment. No one knows about that. You did."

Romana gave a small laugh.

And the Doctor lowered his finger, a little. "Ah. You didn't. You took the information from my mind when you designed this place — based on my memories."

"As you say," Romana agreed.

The Doctor pondered this over. "But why take _my_ memories? Why design this place like Gallifrey? Why not use somewhere _Seo_ would find familiar and comforting, instead — like her home on Earth, surrounded by her mum and aunt and Alison?"

"Because whoever designed this place didn't care what Seo thought of it," Jack realized. "They only cared what _you_ thought of it!"

"Exactly!" The Doctor raised up his second finger. "Which brings me to number two. Someone out there knew I was worried about what would happen to Seo, after I was gone. Because someone's been counting my regenerations."

He spun around, turning to Jack.

"Jack," said the Doctor. "You know Time Lords have 12 regenerations. How many do I have left?"

"Two," Jack replied. Then hesitated. "Unless… that one with the Daleks in the Medusa Cascade—"

"Counted," the Doctor concluded. "It did. And you didn't know that I went through an entire extra life during the Time War."

Jack stared at him. "So… none?!"

"Seo didn't know, either," the Doctor said, turning back to Romana. "She was just as surprised as Jack, here, when I told her. But someone _did_ know." The Doctor looked down at the unconscious Seo. "Someone who knew that Seo _wasn't_ a monster. Someone who knew she wouldn't listen long enough to actually open up the dimensions — because she'd jump in and save my life by accidentally giving me all her regenerations, first."

"Someone who wanted to kill her, and give her lives to you?" Jack guessed. "The Powers that Be?"

"Maybe," the Doctor said. Tapping his chin, again. "Possibly. But I'd have thought they'd care more about re-opening the dimensions than killing her. And after our last encounter, I didn't think they'd be very benevolent towards me."

Seo, from the ground, groaned.

Rolled over.

"If only the TARDIS were here!" the Doctor complained. "I could trace your earlier self, Jack. Find where this all started!"

"It _is_ here!" Jack cried. "It's got to be. It disappeared from Ariffildos when you did!"

Seo blinked her eyes open. "What…? Where…?" She sat up. Eyes suddenly wide. "Jack!"

Romana moved to block the doorway, in a flash. "You're not going anywhere, Doctor," she warned, "until she re-opens the dimensions."

"Until I what?!" Seo cried.

"Oh, haven't you been listening to me, Fake-Romana?" the Doctor insisted. "This has all been a set-up! One that's gone terribly wrong. Now let me out of here to fix it, before—"

"Yes, I've heard," Romana replied, "but I don't believe it. Not for a minute. She's dangerous — I have proof of that. And now that I know Jack's involved — he's just as dangerous as she is. Neither of them are ever leaving here. The universe is better off without them."

"Better off without…!" Jack felt his hands shaking, as he struggled to restrain himself from punching Fake Romana in the nose. "Listen, lady. Have you seen what the universe looks like, when Seo's not around to save it, anymore? It's about half the size. And most of the planets floating around it are dead, gone, and forgotten."

"Which is why the Powers that Be need their control conduit," said Romana. "To bring goodness back to the universe, again. And prevent those planets from ending." Her eyes fell on Seo. "So here's the new deal. Either you open up the dimensions. Or…" with the wave of her hand, the Doctor's TARDIS appeared just in front of them. "…I destroy this ship. And imprison him here, forever, with the two of you."

Seo got up from the ground. A little shakily. "Re-open the dimensions," she breathed. "What Dad died to…" She glanced over at Jack. Exchanged a look.

Then, in unison, they threw themselves at Romana, tackling her to the ground.

"Father, go!" Seo shouted.

The Doctor didn't have to be told twice.

He spun around, darted for the TARDIS, fast as he could, while Romana was still distracted trying to control Seo and Jack. Threw open the doors, and with one last, "I'll come back", he darted inside.

And took off.

"First, the impossible," the Doctor said, spinning around his TARDIS, trying to do as many clever things as he could. "Break out of here, and back into the real universe." He spun a dial, pounded down a lever. "Then, young Jack, I've got an energy reading to trace."


	14. Chapter 14

Jenny took a long, shaky breath. Leant over a large pile of books. "So that's… what must have happened to Seo and Dad, then?" she confirmed, closing the last research book with a small thump. "What's going to kill me and my sister, while Dad escapes?"

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "You look pretty rattled about something as normal as Big Bad Who Wants To Kill You."

"When I can see the probabilities playing out, showing that I'm definitely going to die?" Jenny sat back down in her chair. "Yeah. Rattled is one way of putting it."

Neither said anything for a long moment.

"I just… don't see what any of this has to do with me!" Jenny insisted. Shoving the pile of books away from her. "I wasn't born a Slayer or a weapon to kill immortals! I'd never even heard of 'the First Evil' or the 'Powers that Be', before today." She shook her head. "But for some reason… I'm supposed to die because of them!"

Buffy gave her a sad, sympathetic stare.

Put a hand over hers.

"Normal kid, asked to put your life at risk because of some powers you don't know, fighting a war you've never heard of," Buffy commented. Met Jenny's eyes. "Yeah. Welcome to my world."

Jenny said nothing.

"Hemery High School," Buffy said. "And I was someone who cared more about shoes and boys and makeup than the fate of the world. Then some Watcher shows up and tells me I'm 'the Chosen One'… and no more innocent-Buffy, anymore. No more choices. Just…"

She stopped.

Her eyes focused in the distance.

"Surprises," said Buffy. "Curveballs. You think you know how to play the game and save the world and kill the Big Bad, and then everything changes on you! Not knowing who's a good guy and who's a bad guy. Running away because you can't stand to face fate. And that moment when you figure out that you've got no choice. And you've gotta jump into a swirling portal of energy — because Dawn's life is more important."

"But I don't want to die," said Jenny.

Buffy's sad smile grew into a genuine one. As she helped Jenny up. "Good thing you've got Buffy-power, then," she said. "Because if Terazina's right, and I'm the factor that'll change history back and save all of you — then I've got a plan."

Jenny's mood perked up.

"And part of that plan," Buffy continued, "involves you following that time traveling energy trace you found, earlier. And falling straight into the trap."

Jenny's mood fell.

* * *

When the Doctor did land, he did so a short ways away from the source of the signal. Better to lay low, work out what was going on, before he blundered right into the middle of some nefarious scheme.

"Not the Time Agency, though," the Doctor said, checking the coordinates. "Curious."

He spun on his heels, racing out the door.

"Well, better be sneaky!" he decided. Yanking it open, and darting outside. "Whoever's here, they're not about to—!"

He hadn't taken more than a step out of the TARDIS, before he found himself struck on the back of his head.

And fell.

* * *

The moment the TARDIS faded away, Romana gave an incomprehensible command.

And Seo and Jack backed away, almost automatically.

No longer able to physically attack her.

"Thank you both; I needed to send the Doctor away," Romana informed them both. "The influences in this prison must have been affecting his mind too strongly. He was spouting nonsense."

"He was telling you the truth!" Jack snapped. Pointed at Seo. "Just look at her! Sweetest kid you'll ever meet. And you're just gonna lock her up, out of the universe, because some idiot higher-powers said so?!"

Romana turned sharp eyes on Seo.

Her disgust clearly evident on her face.

"This prison will provide her with friends, an education, a sense of belonging," said Romana. "A life. It's better than a maniac like her deserves."

" _I'm_ the maniac?" Seo shook her head. " _You're_ the one who wants me to open the dimensions!"

"And eventually, I'll find some way to make you do that, too," Romana replied. "Your penance for everything you've done. All the people you've hurt!" She advanced on Seo, imperial air boring down on the young girl. "Bringing war and bloodshed to a peaceful planet, because _you'd_ torn it apart all that time ago with your wormholes! Your ridiculous obsession with that Piano Drop which nearly allowed the Poilarin to escape!"

Seo hesitated.

All the self-blame and insecurities within her rising to the surface.

"Even your manipulation of humanity to force them to destroy the whole Tiberion Spiral Galaxy, and maybe even the universe!" Romana continued. "You heartless, destructive, evil…!"

"Oh, get lost," Jack snapped.

Romana paused.

Turned on him. "I'm _sorry_?!"

"You heard me," said Jack, putting his arm around Seo's shoulders. "Get out of here. Beat it. Scram! If we're going to have to stay here in your prison forever… we'd like to do it without _you_."

Romana lingered, a moment longer.

Then, with a small sigh, turned around. And disappeared out of the room, deep into the rest of the capital.

Jack looked down at Seo. Hugged her to him, a little tighter. "You okay, kiddo?"

Seo's lower lip trembled. "I'm going to die, here," she whispered. "I knew… the moment I arrived…"

"Nah," said Jack. Giving her a grin. "We'll get out. Even if the Doctor doesn't come back — you and me, we're a great team. Nothing we can't do."

Seo looked up at him.

Unsure what to say.

"You don't deserve this, you know," Jack reminded her. Just to make sure. "Really. You didn't do anything."

"Maybe… she's right, though," Seo said. Shuddered. "After Mom… and Terazina… and everything else…" She swallowed, hard. "I was never supposed to be in your universe. Maybe… it'd be better off without me."

Jack sighed. "You don't believe that. You're just saying it because you've been wrongly imprisoned, and don't have any idea why or what's really going on."

Seo quirked an eyebrow at him.

And he looked away.

Dropping his arm from her, and stepping back. Bracing himself for the punch she'd inevitably swing at him, when she heard the truth.

"That Activator," said Jack, very softly. "I gave it to Gariton, when I was younger. I remember — I'm the reason those guys had it, when you showed up."

Seo said nothing.

But Jack could feel her eyes boring through him, with sudden fierce anger and betrayal.

"What?!" Seo breathed.

"I knew there was something familiar about you, the first time I saw you in Buffy's arms," said Jack. "It's because I'd met you, way back in my own past. Seo, all the things you're imprisoned here for… _I_ did them. To get rid of you."

For a few long moments, Seo said nothing.

Fury written all over her.

Then… in a very low voice… "Why?"

"Dunno," said Jack. "Probably not a good reason. Didn't know anything about you. You were just… a mission."

Silence from Seo.

An accusing, horrible kind of silence, one that was angrier and more accusatory than any word she could have said to him.

"It all got wiped, when the Time Agency took those two years of memories away from me," Jack admitted. "But… after seeing myself shoot you… it's starting to come back."

"Almost every time you got brainwashed, while we were traveling together," Seo realized, "you tried to kill me."

Jack couldn't deny this.

"I told Jenny — none of this could have happened without some time traveler, orchestrating it all!" Seo charged, stepping towards him with venom in her voice. "And that was you!"

Jack said nothing.

"I did nothing to younger you!" Seo cried. "I did nothing to the Time Agency! I didn't try to hurt anyone, Jack! How could you do this to me?!"

"I don't know."

"And all those people who weren't me, who died, just because I was set up!" Seo went on, throwing her hands up in agitation. "All that suffering! The near destruction of the Slayer Line! The escape of those Poilar-creatures! The Draconians killed in the mirror dimension! Jack, how _could_ you…?!"

"I don't know!" Jack shouted back.

Then froze.

As even that memory slithered back to him, unbidden.

"I… _do_ know…" Jack felt himself shaking. "How could I have forgotten?"


	15. Chapter 15

The first thing the Doctor saw, when he came to — restrained to a chair, a metal cap resting just above his head — was an impossible thing.

A face he couldn't possibly be seeing.

She was sitting on the arm of the chair he was tied to. Squashing one hand, and leaning across him, to fiddle with the strap around the other.

"Don't tell me you're a fake, too," the Doctor said. Squinted a little harder. Then sighed, as he figured it out. "No. Real. Definitely real. Let me guess — you escaped right around Christmas, 2009?"

"Oh, look who's still the smarty-pants?" Elizabeth chuckled, finishing her work with the straps. Her eyes gleamed, as she looked him right in the eye. "Different face. Same Doctor. You must be pretty self-confident."

"Well, I am brilliant," the Doctor pointed out. "Although… got to admit… didn't exactly see _this_ coming…"

"Yeah, I'll bet." Elizabeth gestured to her right. "Or you wouldn't have landed your TARDIS right smack in the middle of my little workshop, here."

The Doctor snapped his head over.

Then sighed.

"You choose your moments, Old Girl," he told the TARDIS.

* * *

"I don't like this!" Jenny insisted, setting coordinates on her time machine. "We're heading straight into a trap that's destined to kill me… and you still don't know what, exactly, is going to happen!"

"Not _straight_ in," said Buffy.

Jenny didn't seem any happier about the situation, though.

"Look, Elizabeth's working with the Powers that Be," said Buffy. "And I know how stupid that sounds — but I think they're desperate enough, around Seo, to swallow their pride and go with this. Elizabeth's expendable, to them. They can make her do the legwork. And when they get free, they can kill her with a clean conscience — because she's evil. Tie up the loose ends."

"But…"

"But," Buffy agreed, "Elizabeth's smart enough to figure that out. She's got her own plan — and _that's_ the one that's gonna kill you."

"And you think you can stop her?" Jenny asked.

Buffy shrugged. "I live in hope."

"Those Havchornom said if you interfered… you'd just cause Dad to die, too," Jenny reminded her. "He's supposed to escape. If you show up and distract him… maybe he won't. Maybe all three of us will die."

Buffy clenched the arms of her space-ship seat. "Elizabeth has my daughter," she hissed, through her teeth. "She handed her over to the Powers that Be! If I _don't_ interfere, this scheme-thing is going to _murder_ …!"

Jenny glanced over at Buffy.

Then sighed.

And gave up.

"You're not going to give up until she's safe, are you?" Jenny adjusted one of the controls on her ship. "Seo's lucky to have a mum like you."

Buffy stole a glance at Jenny. "I'm not just saving _her_."

Jenny didn't answer.

"The Slayer can't always save everyone," Buffy said, in a low voice. "Or that's what everyone always says. Even me." Her eyes fixed back on the vortex, before them. "But today's the day… I prove everyone wrong."

* * *

"Elizabeth?" Seo cried, stepping away from Jack, sharply.

Jack's eyes went unfocused, as he stared into the distance. "How could I have forgotten it?" he asked himself. "It was after I came back from this mission for the Time Agency — a two year mission, and at the end of it, they wanted to wipe my memory."

"A mission… doing…?" Seo asked.

Jack shook his head. "Still can't remember that part," he admitted. "Just remember getting back. And overhearing the Agency's plans for me. Two years of memories they were gonna wipe from my head. I wasn't gonna let that happen. So I ran."

"And went to find Elizabeth?!" Seo said.

"No, I went to grab something to bargain with," Jack corrected. "She'd been building something called… 'the Activator.' If it was used, it could change the whole course of time. The Agency knew it couldn't be left on Earth — and definitely not in her hands. They'd sent another Time Agent after it…"

He trailed off.

"But she outsmarted and killed him," said Jack, dully. "Even tore him apart so she could get his tracker deactivated. She would have gotten his Vortex Manipulator — but he sent it back to the Agency before she could."

Seo didn't say anything.

"I figured… this was my chance," Jack told her. "Go show the Agency that they _needed_ me — with all my memories intact! I found the last trace on that tracker, went back to Earth, 21st century…"

He trailed off.

Bent over, elbows on his knees.

"And found Elizabeth," Seo said. "Who'd managed to glimpse all of Mom's memories." She backed a little further away from him. "She didn't kill you… because she _recognized_ you."

* * *

"The Doctor," Elizabeth mused, looking him over, a little more closely. "You know, I used to be so afraid of you! Cowering in fear. Then the world ended, and — guess who didn't show up?" She yanked the strap around his other arm, until he yelped in pain. "What were you doing that made you so busy, you didn't have time to keep an eye on me?"

"Three guesses," the Doctor muttered, trying to think a way out of this. If he could just tense up his muscles so her straps had a little extra give, after she was done with them… if he could just get a little extra leverage and grab his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket…

Provided, of course, that she hadn't stolen it from him first.

"Oh, don't even start to bitch at me about your little war!" Elizabeth said, with a sigh. She got up, standing in front of him, hands on her hips. "You thought I was a lot less of a threat to the universe than a bunch of crazy pepper-pots. So you left me with Willow and Xander, and abandoned mankind."

"And when you found out I wasn't coming back, you destroyed the world," the Doctor said to her, evenly. "I know. I heard, at the end of the War, what you'd done."

And he'd only discovered just how much his sorrow over Elizabeth's actions and his wishes to stop her had changed things… much later. In his tenth incarnation, when he'd come across Buffy Summers.

That paradox still remained, even after Gallifrey's destruction had been undone.

(Curious. It meant… that the paradox must have been caused by…

Just what _had_ Braxiatel really been up to, during their little stint at the end of the War?)

"You destroyed the world — and I suppose you'll say it's all my fault," the Doctor sighed. "Of course you would. Blaming people for your own problems, that's just what you do."

" _I'm_ not the one here who blew up her home planet," Elizabeth pointed out.

The Doctor chuckled, a little.

If she only knew!

"Oh, you think that's funny?" Elizabeth said. "Bet you would have been rolling on the floor as Abbadon made his way across England, killing everyone beneath his shadow!"

"Because clearly, despite my being nowhere near there," the Doctor said, wiggling a little at the straps to loosen them up a bit, "that's still _my_ fault."

Her eyes fell on the straps around his wrists. And the Doctor turned the wiggling into a desperate thrash, as if trying futilely to get free — but failing.

That seemed to calm her down.

"Nothing you can do to break out of here, Doctor," said Elizabeth.

"Can't blame me for trying," the Doctor replied. Then, meeting her eyes with his — in a quiet voice — asked, "Where's Jack?"

"Oh, you figured that one out, huh?" Elizabeth clapped, delightedly. Then gave a sharp whistle.

A younger-looking Jack walked into the room. His face blank, his eyes vacant.

"Isn't he adorable?" Elizabeth asked. "And so brave! Coming out here to stop me, after I killed that other Time Agent. Just to prove to the Time Agency that he deserved to keep his memories!"

" _You_ built the Activator," the Doctor muttered. "Of course. The Powers that Be asked you for help getting their powers back, and you figured you could use their knowledge to build an Activator, then hijack Seo and destroy both them and me when you were done."

"Yeah, well, those higher-dimensional jerks hated having to rely on me, anyways," said Elizabeth. "Not 'good' enough in their eyes. They were trying to contact Buffy, but got me, instead." Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "They said they'd give me anything I wanted, if I helped them. We both knew that was a lie."

"Things didn't exactly work out to plan, though, did they?" the Doctor said. "You didn't get your Activator back. Jack stole it from you."

* * *

"I knew she was a psychopath," said Jack. "But she had her kinks, you know? And she seemed pretty amused by the idea of hooking up with…"

He trailed off.

As Seo stared at him, in horror.

"You _slept with_ her?!" Seo cried. She held her head in her hands. "Jack, is there anything or anyone you _wouldn't_ sleep with?!"

"Had to get her distracted," said Jack. "She drifted off to sleep. And I stole her Activator. Left both her and 21st century Earth behind."


	16. Chapter 16

"Yeah, well, turns out — the Powers that Be cared about Seo way more than they cared about me," said Elizabeth. "Underestimated me. Stupid of them, huh?" She kicked Jack, roughly. "Get up, Slave. Go do your mistress' bidding."

Jack got to his feet. "Yes, mistress," he said, in a monotone.

Then wandered off, into the distance.

The Doctor used the distraction to manage to wiggle a little more in his restraints. Stopped, as Elizabeth turned back — to grin at him. "You underestimated me, before, too. Thought Willow and Xander could stop me. And next thing you know… the Earth's destroyed, and I'm free."

"You didn't manage to destroy the Earth _this_ time, though," the Doctor commented. "Let me guess. Dawn Summers and… has she met up with Ace, yet?"

"Those two losers?" Elizabeth snorted. "Couldn't defeat me if they tried." She spun around, and yanked a cord to her right. "Couldn't even figure out my real plans, the imbeciles."

The Doctor stared, as a curtain fell away — in a far too melodramatic way — from a large piece of machinery.

But that machine…!

"Of course," the Doctor muttered. His eyes fixed on its intricacies, taking it all in. "So that's what you're up to. It all makes sense, now."

Elizabeth patted the machine, fondly.

"I figured out what the Powers that Be were planning," Elizabeth told him. "And how to twist it to my advantage." A small laugh. "As if Seo would just stand around, watching you die! As if she'd ever bother to _listen_ , instead of charging right in and accidentally giving you all her regenerations."

The Doctor snapped his head back to Elizabeth. His voice suddenly very quiet. "It won't work."

Elizabeth laughed.

"Pull the other one, Doctor," she said. "I'm not some stupid little girl anymore. I built this whole machine myself."

"Yes, and even found a way to get me strapped down here to suffer and die instead of Seo — despite the fact that I've got no more regenerations," the Doctor agreed. "Very clever. But it still isn't going to work." His voice lowered, a little more. "You can take the regenerations out, Elizabeth. But you won't be able to absorb them for yourself."

"Because I'm human?" Elizabeth asked. "Because I've got a fragile little body that can't cope with all your Time Lordy regeneration stuff?"

"That too," the Doctor said. "But also because Seo's not a normal Gallifreyan. And her regenerations aren't normal, either." He cringed, feeling the press of the powerful entity tucked away inside Seo's regenerations. "She's placed herself into each of them. They're non-transferrable."

Elizabeth didn't look impressed. "Now that's just stupid."

"But true!" the Doctor insisted. "Trust me, Elizabeth. You _can't_ absorb her regenerations. No one can! I've got them, and they're nearly killing me."

"Except they're not killing you," Elizabeth pointed out. "You're still alive."

"Well, Seo quite likes me," the Doctor replied. "I'm guessing she doesn't like you so much."

Elizabeth still seemed completely unbothered. Just crossed her arms. "Yeah. But I'm not going to keep her regenerations inside of _me_ , anyways."

The Doctor frowned.

"Oh, come on, I'm not stupid!" Elizabeth cried. "I know that if I try to store Time Lord regenerations in this human body, I'd just be all with the explodiness." She stepped forwards. "I've got a vessel. And a very good artron absorber and filter."

The Doctor scoffed. "And you really think that'll work?"

"It will."

"It's been tried before, Elizabeth," said the Doctor. "Chap named Mawdryn thought he'd give it a go. He wound up degenerating. Undead, forever. Trust me, that machine of yours will never work. Not even with _normal_ regenerations — and Seo's aren't normal."

"Oh, of course that machine would never work," Elizabeth agreed. "Unless, of course, you had an energy converter powerful enough to collapse the whole multiverse. Stuck inside a human body. That was constructed based on _my_ DNA."

The Doctor stared.

"Dawn," he breathed.

Elizabeth switched on a monitor. To show Dawn Summers, suspended in a vat of goo, in an underground bunker somewhere.

Completely unconscious.

Hooked into a complex set of machinery and electronics… which was all to do with the machine Elizabeth had constructed, here. Making her an artron absorber and filter.

"My little sister," Elizabeth agreed. "Seo's aunt." She shrugged. "Call me crazy, but… if whatever Seo's put into her regenerations isn't killing you, right now — it's not going to kill Dawn. And using Dawn—"

"You can filter out anything that won't work with your DNA," the Doctor muttered. "Because the two of you are linked."

"Same blood, as other-me said," Elizabeth confirmed. "Summers blood."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes, as he surveyed Elizabeth. Coming face-to-face with the full horror of the monster she'd become. What she'd turned into. Just how far she'd fallen.

"Other-you gave up her own life, using that link," the Doctor reminded her. "For Dawn."

"Yeah, I know — _total_ drama-queen," Elizabeth replied. "Using that link to jump into some portal and fry out her brains? Trust me, using it to do this is way cooler. Plus — added bonus! I get rid of that bratty daughter of mine, _and_ I get to kill you! _And_ …!"

She turned back to the Doctor, beaming, her eyes burning with an intense and utter hatred.

"…with Dawn as bait, I can finally get rid of that _companion_ of yours," Elizabeth said. "She's _really_ been getting on my nerves."

* * *

"No, wait, she's not Elizabeth!" Jenny said, leaping out in front of Buffy. "It's Buffy. Really Buffy. I rescued her from hell!"

"Yeah, that's what I set out to do, too," Willow snapped, not lowering her weapon. "But the _real_ Buffy was pretty pissed off, when I did."

Buffy stuck her head around Jenny. "Real hell, this time, Will," Buffy corrected. "Not Heaven-you-thought-was-hell."

None of the Slayers at the Slayer Institute looked impressed.

And they were all only seconds away from striking Buffy down — with Jenny standing in the way or no.

"You've got some nerve showing up here after what you tried to do to Donna," Xander said. He gestured at the immensely pregnant Ria — swelled up like a balloon. "And what you tried to do to Ria's kid."

The more Buffy heard about Elizabeth's actions on Earth, the less she liked them.

"Other-me decided the best way to act all Big Bad was to kill babies?" Buffy gritted her teeth. "Geeze. It's like she _wanted_ to have 'evil-villain' stamped across her forehead."

"Given the way everyone's reacting," Jenny said, looking out at the crowd of enraged Slayers, around them, "I'm guessing Elizabeth's shown up at the Slayer Institute pretending to be you, before. And then stabbed them all in the back."

"She tried," said Ria. "Donna Temple-Noble stopped her."

Buffy froze.

Confused.

"Seriously?" Buffy said. "Like, red-haired Donna? Who tried to beat up vampires with her purse?"

"Donna," Jenny repeated. "I met a red-haired Donna… way, way back…"

"We mean the Donna whose brain you're trying to turn to strawberry jam," said Kennedy. She lunged at Buffy with her flaming sword. "Ace is out there, right now, with Faith and a whole group of girls, trying to rescue Dawn _without_ killing Donna!"

Buffy tensed.

"Dawn," Buffy breathed. "She took Dawn…"

"So that's her plan?" Jenny asked. "Take Dawn prisoner, use her to lure in Seo, and then force the two of them to create some great big portal to—?"

"No, definitely not," Buffy cut in. "A portal means a way back for her — and she'd never risk that. If she's taken Dawn, she wants her for something else. Something…"

She paused.

Then picked out the one person in the angry mob who didn't seem to belong.

"Something _he_ knows about," Buffy said, pointing at the guy. "Whoever he is."

The guy backed away, a few steps, nervously.

"Not a Slayer, not a woman, a little too nervous around the others, a bit out of his depth with the mystical artifacts — and the only person here looking away from you, towards that door at the far end of the room," Jenny noted. Gave Buffy a small smile. "Yep. Whatever's going on, he's the one to ask."

The man tried to edge away from them.

But Jenny flipped through the crowd and grabbed him up.

"So who are you?" said Jenny. "And what's going on?"

"Get away from Shaun!" Kennedy shouted, charging with her flaming sword.

Buffy wrestled the sword from her hands, and tossed it aside. "I so don't have time for this!" she snapped, forcing her way through the crowd. "Jenny and Seo are fated to die, here — and from the sound of it, my sister isn't doing too well, either." She grabbed Shaun up by the shirt, and held him in midair. "So open up and tell me what's been going on, fast. Or I'll make you."

Shaun's eyes flicked towards Jenny.

Who seemed equally unsympathetic.

"We told you, Elizabeth," Amanda shouted, "to let Shaun…!"

Ria stopped her.

"Look at them," Ria said, gesturing at Buffy and Jenny. "They don't recognize Shaun. At all. Elizabeth was a good actress… but she couldn't hide that spark of recognition."

Willow lowered her weapon. "But… that means…"

"Back from the grave, again," said Xander, "and no need for crimes-against-nature resurrection magic!"

Buffy glanced back at Xander.

The last time she'd seen him… he'd been stabbed through by Acathla. And seeing him alive again… she just wanted to drop everything and give him a great big relieved hug.

But didn't have time.

"Shaun," said Ria, "is Donna's husband. He's here because she's remembering things — which is making her very sick. And he's worried about her."

Buffy, a little embarrassed, dropped Shaun back down to the ground. "Uh… sorry."

"Sick?" Jenny asked. "But how…?"

"Because my wife's somehow managed to subconsciously foil many of Elizabeth's plans," said Shaun. "So Elizabeth made sure… the only way to rescue Dawn… would result in Donna's death."

Jenny and Buffy exchanged a look.

Neither of them understanding what Shaun was talking about.

A walky-talky crackled, in Ria's hands. And an unfamiliar, English voice came through. "Got past that last trap," the woman on the other end said. "Almost got caught, but Faith sidetracked the monster until I could get my hands on the Nitro. Blew it to bits."

"For some reason none of us can figure out," Willow explained to Buffy, "Donna got a huge overdose of Doctor-memories."

"All dumped and encoded inside her mind in a gigantic flash," Mindy chimed in. "She said something like… metacrisis. None of us know what it is, though."

"But if she starts to remember something that's technically the Doctor's memory," Xander concluded, "her brain melts down. And we've been trying out every memory charm in our arsenal to stop that from happening." He turned a sharp eye on Willow. "Even magic memory charms that nearly killed us, back in Sunnydale."

Willow looked away.

"Thanks to Ace, though, we've nearly gotten past all the traps," said Ria. "Apparently, Ace attended the Academy on Gallifrey, for a little while. Knows all kinds of things Elizabeth didn't realize anyone except the Doctor actually knew."

"Anyone there?" said Ace, through the walky-talky. "We're heading off to the next trap. Got to be getting close to rescuing Key-girl, by now."

"So I'm guessing Elizabeth tried to make sure that the only way to save Dawn," Jenny guessed, "was by using information only Dad knew? To kill off Donna?"

Everyone looked at everyone else.

Then back at Jenny.

"Dad?" Xander asked. Then hit his forehead. "Oh, no. Not another one."

"Didn't Martha mention something about this, way back when?" Willow said, trying her best to recall. But it had been long enough ago that the memory was hazy, at best.

But Buffy had stopped paying attention to any of them.

As it struck her, all at once.

"Donna has bits of Doctor in her," Buffy muttered. "And she's been beating Elizabeth, because Elizabeth has bits of…"

She grabbed Jenny by the arm, and began to drag her back to her time machine.

"That's it!" Buffy said. "That's what she's planning! That's why she wants _you_ , Jenny — even though she's never met you!"

"What?" said Jenny. "What are you…?"

"Regenerations!" Buffy cut in. "She's going to steal your regenerations, Seo's regenerations, the Doctor's regenerations — and filter them all through my sister!" Her eyes were fixed, determinedly, on the time machine in the distance. "She's got Seo and the Doctor right now. She's only waiting for you, Jenny."

"But if I never show up…!" Jenny insisted.

"Then she'll pull the trigger and kill Seo and the Doctor before Ace has a chance to rescue my sister," said Buffy. "Time's running out. And the only way we'll win this is by playing into Elizabeth's hands. And distracting her… at just the right moment."

Jenny hesitated.

But followed Buffy back to her ship.

"Please tell me you've got a strategy to make sure I don't die," Jenny said.

Buffy looked over at Jenny.

And grinned.


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note: Ack! Sorry, skipped a chapter. Wow, I must be really overtired. I was working hard not to do that, this time. And I did it anyways!

Enjoy.

* * *

"Companion of…?" the Doctor suddenly worked it all out. And something deep down inside of him shuddered. "Donna."

Elizabeth beamed.

"What have you done to…?" the Doctor demanded.

"What have _I_ done to her?" Elizabeth cut in. "What have _you_ done to her?! She's all corrupted and melty-brained, and it gets worse and worse the more she thinks your thoughts and remembers your memories." Elizabeth glanced back at the monitor. "So I've made sure the only way to rescue my sister… is by giving your lovely Ms. Noble brain-meltdown syndrome."

The Doctor said nothing for a long time.

He was almost there. Almost able to reach into his pocket. He could _feel_ the tip of the sonic — but couldn't get a good enough grip to draw it out.

"Thus making myself practically immortal," Elizabeth said, "and taking out all my enemies, all at once. Or the ones who _matter_ , anyways."

Still, no word from the Doctor.

"Oh, come on, it's all with the impressive," Elizabeth insisted, turning back to him — the Doctor stopping his escape attempt, as soon as she did. "This is high-quality stuff, right here!"

"You're just like him, now," the Doctor muttered. "The Master."

Fury flashed across Elizabeth's face. "How dare you accuse someone else of doing what _you_ —!"

"The gloating," the Doctor cut in. "The obsession with killing me. The obsession with eternal life! Does that _sound_ like me, Elizabeth? Does any of this sound like something _I'd_ do to _you_?!"

Elizabeth shrugged.

And the Doctor knew… she was too far gone. Way too far gone.

"You don't even care who it is in your head, anymore," the Doctor said. "You've accepted it."

"Yeah," Elizabeth agreed.

"That's why you've gained his hypnosis," the Doctor continued. "Why you've gained his knowledge and his abilities and his goals. And the only reason it hasn't burned out your brain by now is because the Time Lords resurrected him before he had the chance to fully imprint himself into you. You got Master-lite."

"Unlike Donna," Elizabeth said.

Donna.

Someone else the Doctor needed to save, when he got out of here.

"You're trying to figure out how to save her, huh?" Elizabeth guessed. "Yeah, I get how your brain works. But you can't. You're going to be dead pretty soon. Just a matter of time before you're gone, Seo's gone, and I'm left with all the gifts of a Time Lord — and none of the drawbacks."

"And do you really think 13 lives will be enough for you, Elizabeth?" the Doctor shouted, straining in his bond in an attempt to grab the sonic screwdriver, but conceal the attempt from Elizabeth. "It wasn't for the Master! And the longer you stay alive, the more you'll know — it's not enough for you, either!"

"Who says I'm just getting 13?" Elizabeth asked.

That was when the Doctor heard the sound of a ship materializing just outside the warehouse. And a familiar voice gave a yelp, as she was, presumably, accosted by the younger version of Jack Harkness.

A… very familiar voice.

The Doctor froze in place. "Oh, no."

"Oh, yes," said Elizabeth. "Guess who's coming to join you?"

The Doctor's eyes snapped back to Elizabeth. "How?"

"By faking your death," Elizabeth replied. "I knew she'd be the only one to actually do the research. While you and Seo blithely stumbled your way onto Ariffildos, hoping to work out a plan as you went along… _she'd_ figure out the trap. Follow Jack's time trail. And arrive… right here."

"To fall into the next trap," said the Doctor. He sighed. "You've been keeping me talking, haven't you? Just waiting for her to turn up."

"Yeah, I'm all badass like that," Elizabeth agreed.

As Jack walked in, carrying a struggling Jenny, who was frantically fighting to break free from his clutches.

"Stop struggling and cooperate," Elizabeth commanded her, pointing an energy pistol at the Doctor, "or he dies."

Jenny went still.

Her eyes taking in her surroundings… and then spotting the Doctor, in the far chair. He did his best to wave, but wasn't quite able to, through the restraints.

"Hello, again, Jenny," the Doctor said. "Recognize me?"

Jenny looked him up and down. "No, but I've figured it out," she replied. Then, with a slightly more irritated voice, "You don't seem surprised to see I'm still alive — Dad."

Oops.

The Doctor had forgotten about that.

"Oh, no," Jenny sighed. "You _knew_!"

"Not at first!" the Doctor insisted. "It took… well… few months. Maybe a year. Shortly after Donna left, I think."

"You knew I was still alive, that whole time," Jenny shouted, "and you didn't find me? Didn't even stop by to say hello?" Jenny began struggling, again. Although this time, probably to go punch the Doctor. "What is wrong with you?"

"But you were doing so well!" the Doctor insisted. "You'd fallen in with that Wsartor, begun saving the universe and being just as brilliant as I knew you could be. And… well…" He looked on at her. Feeling a little sadder, because he knew that what he was going to say was the honest truth. "You didn't need me."

"Dad," Jenny told him, as Jack wrestled her into another restraint-chair, a little ways away from the Doctor, "you're an idiot."

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "As much as I like people calling the Doctor an idiot," she interrupted, "now that you're both here, it's time for you to die."

"And just who are you?" Jenny retorted, snapping her head over to Elizabeth — struggling helplessly as Jack did up her own straps, too tightly for her to escape. "What do you have against _me_? I don't even know you!"

Elizabeth yawned, turning back to her machinery. "Bored, now." She began to fiddle with the machine, behind her. "Better get this started. Moment this thing powers up… it'll fry Ace to a crisp. It'll kill both of you. And with Seo dead, and Donna's brain melting by the second — no one will be able to stop me."

The chairs began to hum.

And the Doctor finally managed to grab his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. Buzzing it at the restraints, so the ones around his right wrist popped free.

Jenny, eyes darting up to the rafters over their heads, seemed almost panicked. Shouted, at the top of her lungs, "Dad, you've done it! You're escaping!"

Elizabeth, hand over the last lever, suddenly spun around.

"Slave!" Elizabeth shouted.

And before the Doctor could leave the chair — younger-Jack was on him. Shoving him back in place, and deftly removing the sonic screwdriver.

"What did you do that for?" the Doctor demanded of Jenny.

Jenny's eyes darted up to the rafters, again. A breath of relief coming to her lips, as she turned her eyes back to the machinery Elizabeth had constructed. "Playing for time," Jenny said. Then, a little louder, "Weak spot is two inches down, four from the left!"

"Two down, four left," a voice from the rafters above them replied. "Got it."

Elizabeth glanced up, but too late.

As, with a THUNK, an arrow shot out of a crossbow, slamming into the machinery — at just the critical weak-spot needed to completely short out the systems.

Elizabeth shrieked.

As the figure in the rafters tossed Jenny down a knife — which Jenny caught, easily. Before the figure grabbed up a chain that had been dangling down from the ceiling, and slid down towards Elizabeth. Kicking younger-Jack out of the way and then using the momentum to flip herself through the air and land right smack in front of Elizabeth — who was trying to run.

But she had no Slayer in her, this time.

Buffy caught her. Easily. Yanked her up and spun her around.

"How to tell us both apart?" said Buffy. "Oh, I know." Slamming her fist into Elizabeth's right eye. "I'm the one without the black eye!"

Jenny, meanwhile, cut through her restraints — and leapt at Jack, shoving him to the ground. He tried to struggle, but Jenny had the element of surprise on her side, and managed to knock him out in no-time.

"You can't be here!" Elizabeth cried, at Buffy. "They said you were stuck in hell." She stealthily tried reaching for the energy pistol she'd dropped, earlier.

Buffy kicked it out of the way. "Yeah, but I always beat the odds." Then hoisted Elizabeth up by her collar, and shoved her against the side of the sparking machinery. "Now where is my daughter?!"

Jenny raced over to help the Doctor out of his restraints.

"Sorry, Dad," said Jenny, as she cut through the straps. "But history says you escaped, and I didn't. If you'd gotten out of there… Elizabeth would have pulled that lever, and I'd have died."

Then realized… the Doctor wasn't paying her any attention.

Was just staring, a little shocked, at the two Buffys.

"Dad?" Jenny said. Waving a hand in front of his face. "Hello!"

"I must still be in the fake world," the Doctor muttered. Eyes not moving from the Buffys in front of him — who had resumed their fight, each one struggling to kill the other. "They've gotten things wrong, again. She's supposed to be dead."

"Oh, so you're surprised to see _her_ , but not surprised to see _me_?" Jenny sighed, as she finished unbinding him. "You know, you didn't have to take me with you or even be nice to me! Just a general dropping-in from time to time would have sufficed!"

"Ripple effect," the Doctor muttered, his eyes still fixed on the recently-arrived Buffy. "Maybe… there was some sort of ripple effect, when Clara and I changed history. Something about what Brax did… that altered time and saved her when she—"

"No, actually, _I_ saved her," Jenny replied. "Apparently, she found a back-way out of the portal, before it could kill her. And has been trying to return to this universe ever since. I found her, saved her, let her in."

"But… but… they said they had her body!" the Doctor insisted. "In Sunnydale, 2001! They said…"

The Doctor trailed off.

As he caught Jenny's confused stare.

"I'm missing something, here, aren't I?" the Doctor guessed.

"I don't have any idea why you thought she'd died in 2001," Jenny told him, "when Seo says you ran into Buffy after that point." She shook her head. "No, wait. Don't tell me. You thought you'd changed history so she died before she should have?"

"It's a little more complicated than that," the Doctor said. "See, the Powers that Be had been manipulating her timeline for—"

"Honestly!" Jenny cut in, helping the Doctor to his feet. "You're as bad as my sister. Changing time around willy-nilly! Un-blowing-up a planet!"

"Yes, but when _I_ change time around, it's cool," the Doctor replied. Shaking his hands and legs out, to get the circulation back into them. Then did a double-take. "Sorry, did you just say…?"

"Un-blowing-up a planet?" Jenny drew a slip of paper out of her jacket pocket. "Yes, I did."


	18. Chapter 18

In a small whisper, Jenny said, "I worked out your little secret, Dad." Tapped the paper, thoughtfully. "Actually, I didn't, at first. I knew something had changed, but I didn't know what." Handed the paper to the Doctor. "Until I found this letter."

The Doctor opened it.

The paper familiar to the touch. The letter almost tingling… as it brushed his fingertips.

He read it through.

Scarcely daring to believe what was written inside.

"Incidentally, she's got no idea," Jenny added, stealing a glance at Buffy. "She's completely convinced that it was just some normal hell dimension, populated by humans."

"…'no one left alive on the planet's surface'…" the Doctor read, aloud.

"Not that she saw," said Jenny. "But she didn't exactly stick around to find out."

The Doctor gave the letter one last lingering look. Then sprinted forwards, to where Buffy was finishing off her fight with Elizabeth. Buffy kicked the prone form of her evil-self one last time, her face in a rage, her eyes still fiery and burning.

"…so if you don't want to be tied up and thrown into the nearest Hellmouth," Buffy shouted, "you'll tell me where Seo is! And if you've killed her, already — then you are _so_ going to be turned into—!"

The Doctor grabbed her by the arm, and yanked her around.

Away from Elizabeth.

"This," the Doctor said, waving the letter in Buffy's face. "Where did you write this?!"

Buffy glanced at the letter.

For a few seconds, completely lost for words.

"That's… I mean…" Buffy struggled to figure out what to say. "Look, it's… not your fault! The Genesis Ark thing… you couldn't have known it'd fall into hell and make Daleks swarm all across every hell dimension, exterminating…!"

"Genesis Ark?" the Doctor said. "From Canary Wharf?"

He stole a glance at Jenny.

Who shrugged. "Yeah, I've got no idea what she's talking about, either."

"But the Daleks are gone!" Buffy insisted. "Okay, so they fried a whole bunch of hell dimensions first and basically convinced me that they were the devil with plungers… but they're all scrunched-out-of-existencey, now!" Buffy tried to grab the letter from him. "Whatever happened at Canary Wharf… it's got nothing to do with that letter! I mean… it did, but… I mean…"

The Doctor yanked the paper out of Buffy's reach, and she jumped up to grab it from his hand.

"…I was just exaggerating with the whole horribleness, worst-thing-ever stuff I said in that letter!" Buffy insisted. "I mean… it wasn't that bad! It's just… it had been a really long time since I saw a human being, and the bodies just reminded me of my daughter, and I was scared anyways, and things… just… kind of… came out!"

Elizabeth gave a coarse laugh, on the floor behind them. "Idiot."

Buffy spun around. And kicked Elizabeth, again, in the ribs. "Yeah, you can shut up. Daughter-killing, sister-stealing jerk!"

The Doctor forced Buffy back around, to face him.

Pulled the letter out of her hand.

"Where were you?" the Doctor said, again. "How'd you get there? Please — it's important."

"It's… huh?" said Buffy. Then, with a sigh, tried to think about how to explain it. "This, like, magic ring thing. Except the Daleks said it was seriously unstable, which is how they got defeated, in the end, but it also meant I couldn't control where or when I went, and—"

"You can't follow her back there, Dad," Jenny put in. "Trust me, it's the first thing I asked her. And when I tried to trace her path back, I found all sorts of unstable energies zigzagging across universes, dimensions, and time-zones. All over the place, at random." Jenny glanced down at Buffy's blank hand. "And she lost the ring. So you can't even use that to find a trace."

Buffy looked between Jenny and the Doctor.

Suddenly seeming a little edgy.

"Okay, I'm starting to think there was something really important that I missed," Buffy said.

"You and me, both," the Doctor agreed. "You're supposed to be dead! You jumped into that portal in 2001 — and you told me you'd survived it! But then I went back to just after that point, and found that history had changed, and you were dead!" He flapped his hands. "And just to confirm it, everyone's been telling me, ever since, that you died in a portal. Including your own daughter!"

"I _was_ dead; Willow went all crimes-against-naturey, and brought me back to life," Buffy said.

"But Jenny just said she saved you from—!"

"Different portal, different time, different circumstances," Buffy dismissed. "It's complicated. Now what's up with this hell dimension where all the people were dead and everything looked like a total battlefield?"

The Doctor showed her the letter. "This paper," he said, "originates from the Cajusa trees — that only grow on one planet. They couldn't get those trees right in the Fake Gallifrey." He grabbed Buffy up by the shoulders. "So that means… you're not a fake. None of this is a fake!" His eyes lit up, and his face broke into a wide grin. "You found it!"

Buffy nodded, slowly.

"I… found… it," Buffy repeated. Gave a sigh. "Yeah, nine years later, and you're _still_ all with the totally unhelpful explanations."

"I told you — I didn't find that letter; it found me," Jenny cut in. She grabbed the paper from the Doctor's hand, showed Buffy the design etched into the back-side of the paper, like a watermark. "I've researched my heritage. This symbol is the Great Seal of Rassilon."

Buffy still seemed none the wiser.

"Great Seal of Radish-on," Buffy confirmed. "Uh… huh. And that's supposed to mean… what, exactly?"

"The red ground," Jenny continued, "the orange sky. The Dalek invasion." She stroked a finger across the letter. "Buffy, this letter wasn't written in hell. It was written on Gallifrey."

Buffy blinked.

Then blinked again.

"Probably immediately after Clara and I saved it," said the Doctor. "Sounds like they hadn't even cleared up the bodies, yet." He hesitated. "If… there was anyone left alive to clear them up."

Buffy kept looking at them both.

Then shook her head. "And now, I'm back with the huh's."

"He went back, crossed his own timeline, and changed the past, you idiot," Elizabeth muttered. "The Powers that Be read it in his memories. How did you _not_ figure that out?!"

"Oh, like I _could_ have, Evil-Me!" Buffy cried. "For your information, no one ever told me what the Doctor's home actually looked like! And he's only been having the most sulk-tacular guilt-o-thon for about 3 regenerations, over blowing it up. Believe it or not, when I arrived on a red planet with an orange sky and lots of dead people — the possibility didn't even cross my mind." She grabbed Elizabeth up by the collar, again, to get right into her face. "What _did_ cross my mind was that you dumped me in Hell so you could murder my daughter!" She punched her in the stomach. "So you better give Seo back! _Right now_!"

Elizabeth gave a raspy chuckle. "She's good as dead."

Buffy screamed.

And Jenny and the Doctor had to physically restrain Buffy, before she outright killed other-her. Right there and then.

"You said you didn't kill humans!" the Doctor insisted, dragging Buffy back.

"That was before I got locked up in hell and had to face down Daleks and demons and monsters — just to get back here and rescue my daughter!" Buffy screamed. She struggled to free herself from the Doctor and Jenny. "Elizabeth stole my memories and used them to manipulate and hurt my friends! We saw, at the Slayer Institute!"

"She tried to kill a baby," Jenny explained to her dad. "And kill Donna. And I'm guessing there are a lot of other things she's done that haven't even come up, yet."

Elizabeth gave a coarse laugh. "Heard what I did to Angel, yet?" she prompted.

That sent Buffy into yet another rage, and the Doctor and Jenny only just managed to hold her back.

"And you kidnapped my sister — and Seo!" Buffy continued. "I've fought my way through hell goddesses for them! Through Daleks for them! So if you don't give them back…!"

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Don't think you need to worry about Dawn, actually," he said, pointing at the monitor. "Looks like Ace has things all under control."

Buffy glanced over.

Saw a cloud of smoke, from some kind of explosion, gradually disappearing. And, inside of it, the image of someone Buffy had never seen before, rescuing Dawn.

Faith and a few other Slayers, nearby, giving them covering fire.

"And as for Seo — she's perfectly safe," the Doctor concluded. "Just left her, back on the Fake-Gallifrey. So unless Elizabeth's been doing a lot of dimension-hopping, recently — Seo will still be fine and safe when we pick her up."

Buffy snapped her head around, to the Doctor. "Seo… she's… she's actually…?"

The Doctor put his hands on Buffy's shoulders. Looked deep into her eyes. "She's fine. You don't have to worry. Not anymore."

Buffy struggled to hold back tears.

As every fear and desperate action and motivation for the last who-knew-how-long was suddenly… resolved. By this. This fact.

She'd done it.

Her daughter was alive.

Her daughter was safe.

"She's alive," Buffy repeated. Unable to stop a tear sliding down her cheek. "She's…!"

She grabbed up the Doctor, and —overcome by emotion and passion and love and fear and sheer relief because Seo was alive, and everything was going to be okay — she kissed him.

Through a downpour of desperate and relieved tears.

Jenny, a little embarrassed, looked away. Coughing, pointedly — to remind them that she was still there.

Buffy pulled away from the Doctor. Struggling to wipe away tears. "Really wanted to do that for a long time, now," she admitted.

The Doctor straightened his bow tie. "Yes. Well." Straightened it, again, a little more awkwardly. "That doesn't happen as much in this incarnation as in last."

"Nine years, Doctor," Buffy reminded him. "During which I got way too many Daleks, hell dimensions, and terrified nights thinking my daughter might be dead." She fought to keep in a sniffle. "God, I've missed you."

The Doctor smiled at her. "You too."

The moment was broken, though, by the sound of an energy beam just barely missing Jenny's head. Jenny ducked, the shot crashing into the machinery, instead. Setting it alight.

Buffy and the Doctor only just had time to snap their heads over and see Elizabeth — who wasn't quite as injured as she'd pretended to be — racing out of the warehouse with her now-recovered energy pistol in her hands. Running towards Jenny's ship.

The flames from the machinery shot out.

And encompassed the whole warehouse, in seconds.

"TARDIS!" shouted the Doctor, lunging for it. "We've got to follow her!"

But Buffy had already lunged for another figure — in the middle of the flames. One whom she just managed to snatch out of the way, before a burning rafter tumbled down to where he'd just been slumped.

The unconscious Jack.

"He's not immortal, yet!" Buffy cried, hoisting his body into her arms. She spun back, but the roof began to fall in, the whole place igniting like a tinder-box.

"Elizabeth must have done this on purpose," Jenny realized. "In case her plans failed. Must have doused this whole place with kerosene, before she started!"

"Third button on the right will send him back to the Agency!" the Doctor called to Buffy, as it became impossible to get back to her. "You have a way out?"

"I'll find one!" Buffy said. She began coughing. "Just get after Elizabeth, while you still can! And get Seo back!"

Jenny and the Doctor turned.

And raced back to the TARDIS.


	19. Chapter 19

"My sister wasn't kidding about the police box," Jenny said, as the Doctor flung open the doors. "No wonder she freaked out."

"Police boxes are cool," the Doctor replied, as he and Jenny piled inside, and he shoved the doors to the TARDIS closed behind him. "Ones from the 1960's doubly so."

The Doctor then raced past Jenny, beginning to dance around the central console, throwing his ship into flight and struggling to keep Jenny's own ship in his sights — as they tumbled through the vortex.

"Jenny — behind you, third button down," the Doctor called, grabbing up the zigzag plotter. "Green!"

Jenny struggled to keep her balance, clinging to the control panel behind her as the TARDIS tumbled through the vortex. "Blue!" Jenny corrected, thudding her hand down on the button.

"Green!"

"Inertial dampeners?" Jenny shifted a few extra levers and dials. "Definitely blue. And you've forgotten to put on your dimensional field modulators."

"Dimensional…?! Rubbish!" the Doctor insisted, veering sharply to the right as he tried to hem Elizabeth in. "What do you need dimensional field modulators for? I'm not modulating any dimensional fields!"

"You're breaking into a dimensional prison! Why wouldn't you need to…?!" Jenny sighed. Then switched them on, anyways. "Never mind. I got it." Just barely managed to hold on, as the TARDIS rocked, again, more violently. "What'll happen to Buffy?"

"Hm?"

"In the warehouse that was burning down!"

"Oh, she'll be fine," the Doctor replied, racing to the other side of the console. "She's survived much worse than warehouse fires, before. The Devil. A few years of running through hell dimensions, looks like. And, apparently, being dead. Which is a bit of a feat, seeing as she isn't a fixed point and she's certainly not a zombie." He shook his head. "Really couldn't have seen that one coming."

He paused, as he noticed Jenny looking around his ship with growing interest.

"Ah, yes, that's right — you've never seen the TARDIS, before!" the Doctor said. "Bigger on the inside! Dimensional transcendentalism, Time Lord thing, don't have time to get into it. And…!"

"Yes, I'm familiar with the concept," Jenny replied. "Different dimensions inside and outside the TARDIS, with the congruence point being the doorway. It's all very simple, mathematically, once you get your head around it." She paused. "Actually, just looking for something my sister told me about. A… chameleon circuit?"

"Ah," said the Doctor. "That. It's… fine. Not broken or anything. And certainly nothing to bother playing around with." He hit another switch, and the whole ship heaved. "Jenny! Blue spiral thing, third panel on the left! Gravitic anomalizers."

Jenny stumbled over to the panel. Then sighed. "Red lever," she corrected, thunking it down. "Gravitic anomalizers. I have them in my ship, too."

"Yes, I noticed," the Doctor agreed, grabbing up the scanner and checking on Elizabeth's progress. "Definitely in use, right now." He shoved another lever. "Extra thrust!"

Jenny caught herself on the panel.

As the TARDIS zipped forwards.

"Nice ship you built, by the way," the Doctor said. Adjusting something more on the central console. "Passed by it a few times. Always wanted to tell you so."

"Passed by…?!" Jenny shook her head. "You actually passed nearby me — and still didn't bother to say hello? Didn't bother to see how I was?!"

The Doctor returned to his work, smile tumbling off his face. "Yes, well…"

"Is this about me?" Jenny asked him. "Seo says you check in on her all the time. Do you…?" She stopped. Then, in a quieter voice, "Do you not love me as much as you love her?"

The Doctor didn't look up at her. "It's nothing to do with—"

"Is this because I was born a soldier?" Jenny demanded. "Because I've changed since then, Dad! I've grown and matured and developed! I'm my own person, now — and you'd know that if you'd ever bothered to speak to me!"

"Yes, yes, I could tell!" the Doctor said, very intent on trying to zip his TARDIS around the vortex. He thought he had found the ship Elizabeth had stolen. Now, if he could just pen it in… herd it to just the right spot… "I'm just a little bit busy at the moment, but—"

"Then why did you abandon me," Jenny insisted, "when my sister's been…?!"

"Quite frankly, Jenny," the Doctor said, snapping his head up, "it's because your sister's destroyed more universes than you have."

He shoved down a lever.

"So I keep an eye on her," the Doctor concluded. "With you… I don't have to."

For a few moments, Jenny couldn't speak.

"You… abandoned me because you trust me?" she asked, at last.

The Doctor sighed. "Don't ever tell Seo I said that," he muttered. "She'll never let me hear the end of it." Then, with another twist of the zig-zag plotter, gave a triumphant, "Ah-ha!"

"Ah-ha what?" said Jenny.

"Ah-ha as in, I've just been dazzlingly clever," the Doctor replied, rushing over to the other side of the console, "and succeeded in herding Elizabeth — inside your ship — right smack into the entrance corridor I set up to the Fake Gallifrey."

He yanked a lever.

"And we're about to follow her there!" he cried.

"To save my sister?" said Jenny.

"And the universe!" said the Doctor. He straightened his bow-tie. "Am I cool, or am I cool?"

Jenny shot him a look that showed just how unimpressed she was.

And he turned away.

"Kids today!" the Doctor muttered. "Can't impress them if you try!"


	20. Chapter 20

Author's Note: Erratic updating is due to my hotel job going completely and utterly berserk. Hotel breaking down. Everything's going nuts. Sorry.

Stick with me. I have one more really horrible week, and then things should get slightly more normal.

In the meantime, I'm blocking off all rooms and praying for cancellations. Due to a complete personnel breakdown.

Enjoy the story.

* * *

"…in the shape of my friend, Romana," the Doctor was explaining to Jenny, as he walked into the room where he'd left Seo. "Wish you could have met her — the real Romana, I mean. You remind me of her, a bit. Sometimes. Only _this_ Romana is actually…!"

The Doctor froze.

As he found the room in which he'd left Seo and Jack now completely empty. No people. No eternals. No Jack or Seo or Romana.

Instead, he found the room's contents now broken and smashed and strewn across the ground. Stray bullet holes dotting the walls.

And on the floor… was…

The Doctor bent down, to examine it. "Blood," he said. And judging by the color… it wasn't Jack's.

"Dad," said Jenny, looking around herself, uneasily. "There's… no one here. No one anywhere in the whole fake-capital! Like this whole fake planet's been… abandoned."

"Something happened, while we were gone," the Doctor confirmed. Standing up, slowly. "A fight."

Remembering what Elizabeth had said to Buffy—

 _She's good as dead._

The Doctor shook his head. "No! This can't be right," he insisted. "The Fake Romana had a firm grip over everyone here. She should have prevented this — that's why I brought Elizabeth here in the first place! The one place she couldn't possibly hurt us." He faltered. "Although… come to think of it… Fake Romana didn't seem too terribly concerned about Seo dying before…"

Jenny bit her lower lip.

"If Buffy hadn't turned up," Jenny told her dad, slowly, "history says… I would have died. And so would Seo." She looked around herself. "If Elizabeth wasn't planning on bringing Seo to Earth… she must have had a backup plan."

"From a different dimension?!" the Doctor shook his head. "She might be good, but she's not _that_ good."

Jenny brushed her hands across the walls. Examining the bullet holes, a little more closely.

"No, this must be Elizabeth, getting back early," the Doctor decided. Brushed back his fringe out of his eyes. "Must be all the turbulence we encountered, coming through the corridor to get here — oh, yes! That'd be very clever." He stumbled, and caught himself. "I'd trapped her spacially — so she offset us temporally. Who knows how long she landed before we ever even arrived! Probably tried to kill—"

"Not Elizabeth," Jenny said. Fingering a bullet hole. "These were made by Jack's revolver."

The Doctor snapped his head up. Then raced over, to analyze.

"You promised Buffy that Seo was all right!" Jenny said, turning on her dad. Her voice was shaking. "Dad… every time Jack was out of his right mind… he tried to kill Seo. What if…?"

"…the brainwashing Elizabeth gave him, as a youngster, never wore off," the Doctor agreed. Rubbed his chin. "Or was never supposed to wear off. What if she…?"

Then a nasty thought popped into his head.

"Buffy said… Elizabeth had access to her memories," the Doctor realized. "She _recognized_ Jack. She…!" He hit himself on the head. "Stupid Doctor! How did you miss that?! _This_ was the one she wanted, all along!"

"What was the one she…?" Jenny asked.

The Doctor spun on her. "Elizabeth didn't care about Time Agent Jack!" he insisted. "You heard her! She tried to kill all Buffy's other friends. But not Jack. Why?"

"Because…" Jenny's eyes went wide. "Because she knew that one day, Jack would be immortal. And if she could brainwash him before that happened…"

"Then she'd have an unkillable zombie working on her side," the Doctor agreed. "No wonder it was so easy to trap her, here. She was _heading_ here, already! To pick up our Jack. The one she actually wanted!"

"And when he was up against the Poilarin," Jenny realized, "Elizabeth's programming broke out. They easily got him to try to kill Seo — because it was what Elizabeth had been trying to get him to do, all along."

"Yes, well, the Time Agency wiped his memory _right_ after Elizabeth's brainwashing," the Doctor replied. "Everything Elizabeth implanted went straight into his subconscious. So she knew the moment he remembered all of what she'd made him do…"

"…that programming would rise to the surface," Jenny concluded. "And she'd have a soldier who could never die. Who was hell-bent on killing Seo. And completely under her control."

"And," the Doctor added, "she has your ship. Full access to time and space."

Jenny went very quiet.

"No wonder the Time Agency sent agents after her," the Doctor said. "Give someone like that access to the space-time continuum…!"

"And she'd rip apart the Web of Time," Jenny muttered.

"Yes, she'd…!" The Doctor paused. Spun on Jenny. "Wait. How did you know…?"

"I'm clever!" Jenny interrupted, spinning around to face him, too. "Dad — you said you left Seo here. She was with a brainwashed Jack. She's got no regenerations left. And she has barely enough energy to run, much less fight back." She stared into the Doctor's eyes. "Are we too late?"

The Doctor didn't answer that.

"Dad?"

"Your sister has one advantage over Jack," the Doctor decided. "Even if she doesn't remember it — she's been here before. He never has."

"Been here before?" Jenny asked. Shook her head. "How's that…?"

"Long story!" The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver, beaming it around, trying to find signs of anyone else here. But all the Eternals had long since fled. And no sign of Fake Romana. "Problem is… Elizabeth's got at least some of the Master's memories. Maybe more than I thought." He sighed. "So it's all a matter of hoping Seo managed to hide before Elizabeth turned up."

"And that we can find her first," Jenny put in.

So they searched.

Searched high and low.

But found nothing. No sign of Elizabeth. No sign of Jack. No sign of Romana.

No sign of Seo.

"Ah, but I did find _something_!" the Doctor shouted, running back into view and racing past Jenny. He grabbed her by the arm, yanking her behind him. "A very big, very important something. And that's why we have to _run_!"

"What…?" Jenny asked, as she tried to peer round the last corner, to figure out what he was talking about.

The explosion clarified it for her.

The debris even more so.

"My ship!" Jenny cried. She turned on the Doctor. "You blew up my ship!"

"Couldn't let Elizabeth get hold of it, again," the Doctor argued. "Best just leave her with the TARDIS. And no other escape routes."

Jenny glared at him.

"What?" said the Doctor.

"I'm starting to reconsider my objections to you staying out of my life," Jenny retorted. Crossing her arms. "Dad."

"Ah, yes, but you see, the whole universe…!" the Doctor tried to explain.

They were cut off, however, by the sound of blaster fire. And they had to turn around, and run — fast as they could — again.

"Next time, how about _I_ blow up _your_ ship," Jenny said, "and see how you like it!"

"Oh, stop taking it so personally!" the Doctor said, as they rounded another corner. "Honestly, kids these days!" He tried scanning with his sonic, realized it was no good, and put it away. "Now. Think, think, think. If I were Seo, where would I hide?"

"You blew up my clothes," Jenny said, listing the items off on her fingers. "My books. My money. And that nice hat with the ship on it. That was a present given to me, personally, by the Empress Volodia of the Sentecky Empire, in their golden age! I'm never going to get another one of those."

"Wait!" the Doctor cried, stopping in place. Jenny almost ran into him, as he raised up a finger. Then pointed in the other direction. "Ha! Of course! She'll be hiding out somewhere that was around back in the days of Rassilon! It's the last time she's been here!"

"The days of…?!" Jenny shook her head. "I thought Gallifrey had been destroyed for our entire lives! How could she have been here — in the ancient history of a planet that shouldn't even exist?"

"She hasn't," the Doctor replied, as they arrived in one of the outer-gardens. He waved around his sonic, altered the settings, and waved it around, again.

"And people tell me _I_ sound confusing," Jenny muttered.

The Doctor beamed.

As — out of nowhere — a huge building complex suddenly shimmered into view. As if it had appeared from thin air.

"No higher technology my foot!" the Doctor cried, rushing to the door. He tried the sonic. Fiddled. Then tried it again. "Must have plucked this out of my memory, and not realized it was there. Rassilon's Foundry!"

"Rassilon," Jenny repeated. "You mean… the actual Rassilon? As in founder of the Time Lords, creator of the Web of Time?" She thought a moment longer, then recited, "'The Web of Time could not exist until Rassilon built the Eye of Harmony, the hitching post of Chronology, that which does not flux nor wither nor change its state.'"

The Doctor did a double-take. "Yes." He then nearly dropped his sonic screwdriver, but managed to grab it, just in time. "Yes! But…" He peered at Jenny. "How'd you know something like that?"

Jenny crossed her arms. "Still think I'm not-good-enough-to-be-a-Time-Lady?" she challenged. "Because there's a lot more where that came from."

The Doctor turned back to the door.

"Have to admit, that's a little impressive," he muttered. Then the door clicked. And opened. "But not as impressive as that!" He flipped his sonic in the air, and caught it. "Rassilon's Foundry! Best kept secret on Gallifrey — unlocked with a sonic screwdriver!"

They really had cheaped out on the technology here!

"I'm never going to impress you, am I?" Jenny sighed, heading into the Foundry.

"Well, perhaps," the Doctor replied. "A bit. Or… well…" He fiddled with his sonic screwdriver, idly. "Tell you what. If I admit you've impressed me, will you agree never to run back into history and turn yourself into a statue for a million years?"

Jenny looked back at him. Confused.

"Forget it," the Doctor said. Brushing past Jenny, lighting his way with the sonic. The Foundry had been populated with a complex series of wooden props, like the TARDISes above. Nothing too terribly advanced, but still very similar to the Doctor's memory. "Ask your sister! I'm sure she'd be happy to tell you." He shined his sonic around, as he stepped into the secondary chamber. "Speaking of which, where do you think she would have…?"

He was cut off by a heavy blur thudding directly into his middle, doubling him up and throwing him against the ground, sonic toppling from his hand.

But it still shone enough light for him to see who'd just tackled him.

And for her to see him.

"Father!" Seo cried.


	21. Chapter 21

The Doctor shined his sonic around, as he stepped into the secondary chamber of the Foundry. "Speaking of which, where do you think your sister would have…?"

He was cut off by a heavy blur thudding directly into his middle, doubling him up and throwing him against the ground, sonic toppling from his hand.

But it still shone enough light for him to see who'd just tackled him.

And for her to see him.

"Father!" Seo cried. Winced, as she got off of him. "Sorry. I heard a man and a woman's voice, and thought you two were…" She looked up. Then noticed Jenny, and jumped to her feet. "Jenny!"

"Are you all right?" Jenny asked, coming over to inspect her. She grabbed the sonic off the ground, used it as a torch and shone it across Seo, inspecting her from head-to-foot. "We found blood."

She looked scratched up, and bruised.

But not severely injured.

Thankfully.

"Jack," Seo said. "He was telling me what he remembered and then… he just flipped out. For no reason."

"As Elizabeth's conditioning kicked back in," the Doctor confirmed. "Thought as much."

"I tried to fight back," Seo offered. She looked down at herself. "But… no super strength. And I was a bit worn out and drained, and…" She drifted off.

Jenny put a hand on her arm, supportively.

"There was a fight," Seo admitted, in a small voice. "Jack won. Gun against my temple. I thought… I was going to die."

"But you ran?" Jenny asked.

Seo looked up at her. "Jack let me," she said. "He stopped himself from pulling the trigger. Told me to run for my life."

Jenny hugged her. "Good."

The Doctor grabbed the sonic back from Jenny. "Very good," he agreed. "Seeing as you, Seo, no longer have any regenerations. Your energy transfer gave them all to me."

Seo turned to him.

Her eyes wide.

"It… did?" She fidgeted, grinding her shoe into the floor. "You… won't be needing them _all_ , right? I mean… I can get some back? Just a few?"

"Trust me, you can have them all," the Doctor told her. "Moment we get back to the TARDIS. Speaking of which — what happened to the fake Romana?"

Seo shrugged. "Jack told her to get out. And I haven't seen her, since."

"Ah. I see." The Doctor nodded. "So Romana's gone, Jack's possessed, and…"

"And if I hadn't been at the controls, helping you fly your ship," Jenny pointed out to the Doctor, "you'd never have gotten back here in time to save Seo, she would have died, and…"

"Yes, thank you!" The Doctor cut in. "No need to get into that!" He waved the sonic around, frantically, in the air. "Right, then! Everyone here up to speed? Yes? Jack's been brainwashed. Elizabeth's on the loose. This isn't Gallifrey — and there is a real Gallifrey, which I changed history to rescue — except that everyone on its surface might possibly be dead. I don't know." He paused. Tapping the screwdriver against his lips. "Anything I'm…? Ah, yes! That's it!"

He spun around. Turning to Seo.

"Your mum's alive," the Doctor said. "Back on Earth. And waiting for you."

Seo stared at him.

Unable to speak.

"You… you actually went back and…?" She ran at him, throwing her arms around him grabbing him into a desperate hug. "I love you! I love you! I love you! I love you!"

The Doctor gasped for breath.

"No, I didn't… mean to imply…!" the Doctor wheezed.

Jenny cleared her throat. "Actually," she said, " _I_ saved Buffy. Found her. Rescued her. Brought her back to Earth for you."

Seo pulled herself away from the Doctor. "You're good, too," she assured him. Then turned around, and ran at Jenny, tackling her into a hug. "I love you! I love you! I love you! I love you!"

Jenny wheezed for breath. "Can't… breathe…" she said. Trying to struggle out of the death-hug. "Seo…!"

But that was when the door to the Foundry crashed open.

And the three turned, as Elizabeth walked in. Jack at her side — walking as if in a trance, barely aware of his surroundings.

He leveled his gun at the trio.

Who froze in place. Raising their hands, in unison.

With one well-aimed blast, the sonic screwdriver was blasted out of the Doctor's hands. The only light now that from the no-longer intact door.

"You think you're just so smart, don't you, Doctor?" Elizabeth demanded. "Blowing up my ship!"

"Actually," Jenny corrected, "he blew up _my_ —"

"Thing is, you just made my life really easy," Elizabeth continued, ignoring Jenny. "Because I've decided… you know what? Maybe I _do_ care a little about this so-called daughter. Or maybe… I just hate you so much, I can't wait until you're dead."

She stepped forwards.

"Either way," she said. Cleared her throat. "Seo. Be a good girl for your mommy." She pointed back at the Doctor. "And take back your regenerations."

Seo opened her mouth to protest.

Then screamed, as she dropped down to her knees. A swirl of energy tumbling from the Doctor, and drifting back towards her. Jenny reached out to catch her dad, as he swayed and staggered, nearly tumbling to the ground.

Seo gritted her teeth.

And managed to stop just before she killed him for good.

"Adapted a certain amount of the control given to the Fake Romana," the Doctor muttered, climbing back to his feet, "to control Seo. Neat trick." He smoothed down his hair. Adjusting his bow tie. "A variant of what you used to construct the Activator?"

"Aw, you didn't kill him!" Elizabeth cried at Seo. She shot Seo a cold, heartless look. "Bad, bad little girl. Disobeying your mommy!"

"You're not… my… mom!" Seo said, through her teeth.

"Yeah? Well, newsflash — neither is Buffy," said Elizabeth. "You little reject."

She turned to Jack.

"Kill the Doctor," she instructed.

Jack raised his gun, as Jenny tried to lunge out at Elizabeth, but Elizabeth brought out her blaster, and struck Jenny in the side. Jenny stumbled back, clutching the injury.

Seo raced in front of the Doctor, standing with her arms raised.

"Kill me and him," Seo warned, "and you'll never get out of here. With Jenny's ship gone, there's only Father's TARDIS. He's got the only key, and I'm the only one who can unlock it independently of that."

"And you'll regenerate," Elizabeth said. "He won't." She nudged Jack. "Kill them both."

Jack stood, the gun still raised. Safety off. His finger on the trigger.

He was sighting down the barrel of the gun.

Sighting right straight at Seo.

His hands shook.

"Protect," Jack said, through gritted teeth. "Told you… I'd…"

"You told me you'd protect her," the Doctor agreed. "And I trusted you. Never trusted anyone more."

Jack's hands shook even more. Sweat pooling on his brow.

"You don't want to shoot her, Jack," the Doctor said, calmly. He placed a hand on Seo's shoulder. "You had her cornered before — and told her to run. You fought back — to keep her safe. Just like you promised."

"Keep… safe…" Jack struggled against the control.

"Just like when you saved her from the Wyorin," Jenny said, sucking in the pain and pretending she hadn't been injured at all. "And when you knew you were being taken over by the Poilarin — and gave her your gun. Remember?"

Jack's hands shook even more. "…can't… fail… everyone…"

"Jack," Seo pleaded. Staring into his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Jack — with a huge angry shout — regained control of himself. Spun around, turning on Elizabeth, gun pointed straight at her.

"You!" Jack growled.

Elizabeth sighed.

And blasted him to death with her energy pistol.


	22. Chapter 22

"You three really are all with the annoying, huh?" Elizabeth said, spinning back around and pointing her gun back at the Doctor, Jenny, and Seo. "I'd just broken Jack in, again, and everything!" She sighed. "Oh, well. Maybe I'll borrow some of those techniques they used to brainwash Seo during the Cyberwars. Even build an Activator for _Jack_ , just to erase any residual personality or fight in him."

"You really are utterly mad, aren't you?" Jenny said. She staggered back over, to stand with her sister, in front of the Doctor. "But if you want to kill Dad, you're going to have to kill both Seo and me to do it. That's two regenerations less that you can steal from us. You really want that?"

"Also, if you do kill us," Seo chimed in, "Mom will hunt you down and kick your ass."

"She can try," Elizabeth replied. "But trust me — after I'm done with the Doctor, she's the first to go, Seo. Oh, and while we're at it…" She spun around, striking her blaster against a hidden piece of technology. Which shuddered into life, drawing a rippling energy field around them.

Elizabeth surveying them all. Energy pistol still pointed at them.

"Can't let you rush me," Elizabeth said. "One-way energy field. I can get you, but you can't get me. How's that for tough cookies?" She waved her energy pistol between Seo and Jenny. "Now. No need to be greedy. Twenty six regenerations, twenty four regenerations — either one's good! Question is, which of you two do I shoot first?"

"What? You're just going to shoot us all?" the Doctor called out. He waved his arms, from behind his daughters. "Not even going to make me suffer a little, first?"

The veins popped out on Elizabeth's neck.

"Go on!" the Doctor said. "Prove how much you hate me! Do something sadistic. Something miserable. Put me in my place!" He put an arm around Jenny's shoulders. And another around Seo's. "After all. You got us completely at your mercy."

Elizabeth gritted her teeth.

"Now, your last plan," the Doctor continued, "the one where you tricked Seo into giving me all her regenerations, so you could slowly kill me as you drained them all from me in excruciating agony, then dump them into Seo's aunt and turn her into your back-up battery — that was much better! Clever, well-planned. And would have made me suffer terribly."

Seo's jaw dropped. "You were going to do _what_ to my aunt?!"

"Now, Seo, don't be like that," the Doctor chided. "It was a very clever plan. Twisted, malicious, and evil, yes… but very clever."

"And you deserved it," Elizabeth growled. "All of you! That brat Seo. That miserable wretch that I'm supposed to call my 'sister'. And you, Doctor — most of all. After everything you did to me!"

Jenny cleared her throat. "And… what about me?" she offered. "One of those slow, excruciating deaths was meant for me, too, you know. And I'm pretty sure I don't know you."

"Oh, yes, good point, Jenny!" the Doctor agreed. "Elizabeth's very clever plan also dragged in Jenny — who had absolutely nothing to do with any of this — and sentenced _her_ to a miserable death." The Doctor grinned. "Let me guess. To make sure I suffered? Dig your nails in just that much more?"

"No — digging her nails in is what she tried to do to Donna," Jenny pointed out. "And that other one you recognized… what was her name?"

"Ace!" the Doctor confirmed. "Brilliant Ace. Never let anyone down, never left behind a friend, never backed away from a situation where she was needed."

"And a total moron," Elizabeth replied. "You tore apart her life, manipulated her and almost destroyed her — and she'll still fight to defend you!" She made a face. "What'd you do, brainwash her?"

Seo looked between Elizabeth and the deceased Jack. "Uh…"

A gasp, from Jack, as he sprung back to life. Elizabeth, at the sound, spun around and shot Jack, again.

He slumped to the ground.

Dead.

"Sorry to butt in, again, with the silly questions," Jenny proffered, "but… this place is, essentially, a prison designed to house an insane murderer who poses a serious threat to the universe, right?" Jenny pointed at Elizabeth. "So… why, exactly, is _Seo_ in here, while _Elizabeth's_ running around, free?"

"Ah, well, that's easy enough to answer!" the Doctor cut in. "You see, Elizabeth's always blaming others for her problems. It's what she does."

Elizabeth gritted her teeth. "I don't _have_ any problems!"

Jenny nodded, slowly.

Exchanged a look with Seo.

"It's him!" Elizabeth screamed, pointing at the Doctor. "You, Doctor! You made me into this! I don't care who did what inside my head — but you were the one who dumped me in a UNIT prison and left me alone to rot. And all because you were prancing around the universe playing the dashing hero in your Dalek war!"

The Doctor's face went dark.

" _His_ fault?! You _destroyed the world_!" Seo cried, pointing at her. "You killed Willow and Xander — your own friends! You tried to murder my mom!"

"No, that was _your_ fault, Seo," Elizabeth accused. "I just took your mom. You were the one who tore holes in reality, trying to get her back! Just like you led Willow and Xander to their deaths."

Jenny shook her head. "Is she serious?"

"You _deserve_ to be caged up like an animal, after everything you did, Seo," Elizabeth told her. "Creating giant portals you couldn't really control. Letting me loose on this universe. I mean, you as good as murdered your father, with that one. I bet he'll never forgive you."

"Oh, she's deadly serious," the Doctor told Jenny. "She might not have been, back in 2001, but… at this point, I think she honestly believes every word of it."

Jack gasped back to life.

And Elizabeth shot him, yet again.

"If you hadn't run away, Seo," Elizabeth went on, "and had just been a good little girl, and done what I wanted and died — none of the rest of your atrocities would have happened." She glared at Seo. "You remember the people you murdered in the Cyberwars? You remember nearly letting the Poilarin free, just because of your obsession with watching that piano drop? Oh, and don't forget the fall of the Irkoli Empire — your shining accomplishment! You threw how many worlds into that black hole, again? Three? Five? Fifteen?"

Seo went very still. Her breath shallow.

Didn't say a word.

"How about the Draconians?" Elizabeth added. "The genocide of the Glarnov race? How about the near destruction of the Slayer Line — by someone they trusted so much!"

"But I didn't…!" Seo tried, in a small voice.

"Oh, you're going to deny it?!" Elizabeth snapped. "You're going to deny that you forced your own mom to endure hell dimension after hell dimension, just because you chose the wrong person? You're going to deny that you created a system of slavery and oppression for a group of idealists in the 51st century, who got transported back in time thanks to _your actions_ , and turned into _pets_?!"

"It's fascinating, isn't it?" the Doctor said, to Jenny. "See, despite the fact that Elizabeth, herself, engineered every single one of the events she's talking about — she still honestly believes they're Seo's fault."

"Why?" said Jenny.

"Oh, because she's mad," the Doctor replied. "Didn't I mention that? Mad. And completely sincere." He stood up, a little straighter. Addressing Elizabeth, directly. "Which is why — when you delivered your proof to the Higher Powers, about Seo's guilt — they took you seriously. Because you believed every single word you said was true, and that none of it was your fault. So they assumed… your perceptions were reality."

"I may be a monster," Elizabeth informed him, "but I'm _your_ monster, Doctor. You made me. Everything that happened, on Earth, in that other timeline — it was all because of _you_!"

"No, it was because of _you_ , Elizabeth!" the Doctor shot back. "You and your delusions. Oh, you did a splendid job, trying to convince me to blame myself for all of it, in my last regeneration. Tried to make me blame myself for Seo's mum, for my companions, for the destruction of my own people!" He shook his head. "But Buffy's still alive. Gallifrey's still out there! And — if what I've heard about Donna Noble is true — she's living life!" He grinned. "And being brilliant!"

"You left me behind, turned me into a psychopath!" Elizabeth screamed.

"Oh, grow up!" Jenny shouted, back. "He abandoned me, too, you know! Knew I was alive, and never even dropped by to say hello! Today, I saved his life — and he repaid me by blowing up my spaceship!"

"You abandoned her?!" Seo said.

"Long story," the Doctor muttered.

"And none of that made _me_ a psychopath!" Jenny insisted. "I tried to be better. Save worlds! Prove myself!"

"And I didn't want to hurt anyone!" Seo agreed, a small smile lighting up her face. "I just wanted to live up to Mom's legacy — and I wanted to make Jack feel better, because he was sad and needed cheering up. I tried to _save_ all those worlds, not destroy them." She beamed. "And in the end, I did! I put things right!"

"Well, I think that's pretty clear, then," the Doctor agreed. Hugging both his girls, with one arm each. "If there's anyone who deserves to be eternally imprisoned, here — it's Elizabeth."

Elizabeth snorted. "Even if it was true — what? You think I'm just gonna go quietly imprison myself?"

The Doctor's voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "I wasn't talking to you."

"He wasn't," a voice behind Elizabeth agreed.

Elizabeth spun around.

Immediately raised up her energy pistol to shoot. But froze.

Unable to move.

"This prison was set up," the Fake Romana continued, "so that I could perfectly manipulate the person who committed the atrocities that Seo was accused of committing. But based on the evidence presented here, the Grace have changed their judgement."

"What?!" Elizabeth cried.

"It's clear that the Grace only believed Seo had committed these actions," said Romana, "because you — Elizabeth — used your own madness to deceive them." She stepped forwards. And removed the energy pistol from Elizabeth's hands. "That makes _you_ my prisoner. And gives me full control over every one of your actions."

Jack gasped back to life.

Looked around himself.

"What did I miss?" he asked.

Romana glanced over at him. "Jack Harkness," she commanded. "Please release your friends. You are all free to go." Then, with a nervous glance at the Doctor and Seo, added, "And I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Seo cried. "You tried to kill my father, to hand the universe over to the Powers that Be!"

The Doctor grinned. "Yes, but, in all fairness," he replied, "she thought the Powers that Be were generally a rather nice bunch. Who deserved to have the universe! And I don't think she ever meant to harm either of us, permanently."

Romana shook her head.

"There, see?" the Doctor chimed in, patting Seo on the back. "All friends, again!"

Jack finally finished disabling the energy beam keeping the trio trapped. And they stepped out, again. Free, once more.

The Doctor walked over to the Fake Romana. Gave her his hand.

"No hard feelings, Lady Not-Romana," the Doctor told her, as she shook the hand. "Just remember. Not all pan-dimensional creatures claiming to be 'good' are _actually_ good. Better take things with a grain of salt, from now on!"

Romana smiled at him, softly.

"Now," the Doctor said, in a slightly lower voice. He darted a glance over at Jack. "I am going to need just one more favor from you, before we go."

Romana looked at Jack, too.

"I understand," she said.


	23. Chapter 23

Author's Note: Almost done! One more chapter.

So here's how this is going to work, with my next story (Shockwave Vampires). It's a little different, because there are no copyrighted characters except my own (Seo, Chiara, etc.). So I have more options!

The plan is that I'll still release the story online, one chapter at a time, the same way I'm doing now. I'll be posting to FictionPress, mostly because I know the platform already. For some reason, this website won't let me post my username, but it's "Shoshi Cooper" with a period in the middle.

As with my current fanfictions, posting may be erratic when my life gets busy. Or if I can't get the next story done in time. But it's free!

Here's the new bit: if you want to just find out what happens, without having to wait for the next chapter, I'll be posting my book to Amazon Kindle in its entirety. (You may have to wait a little, though, for me to get some time to post it. I'm slightly swamped!) For a small amount of money, you'll be able to read my book on your iphone/ipad easily, and will be able to read ahead.

(But it's on your honor not to post spoilers!)

That's basically the new posting method.

I'm still trying to find my audience for the new series, so bear with me! The first book (Shockwave Vampires) is written for a slightly younger audience, the second book (Dux Bellorum) is written for a slightly older one. I enjoy reading them both, so I'm sure you'll like them, too. The second one is about King Arthur!

Anyways, I'll post a preview of the new series at the end of this story.

Then I'll post a few summaries of fanfic stories that I was planning to write before I discontinued the series. Some of the summaries are very interesting, and would have made great stories. Maybe I'll take some of those ideas and use them in a different way in the future.

Then, I'll start Shockwave Vampires.

Enjoy!

* * *

"But what happened to Jack?" Seo said, as she, Jenny, and the Doctor hauled his now limp body into the TARDIS. "You told him you were sorry. Then he collapsed. From my experience, that's usually a bad sign."

The Doctor sighed, as he shut the doors.

"All that programming Elizabeth put in Jack's head," the Doctor explained, "she did it before he became a fixed point. That meant it got buried down inside him, ready to resurface when he recalled certain key events — and Elizabeth gave him just the right trigger." He strode back to the central console. "I had the Fake Romana remove the hypnotic impulse. And all the triggers."

Seo froze.

"You mean… including everything he just did with us?" Jenny asked.

"He means that Jack can't remember anything he did since he started traveling with me," Seo whispered. "Everything we did together built on those triggers. Wipe out the triggers… and you wipe out this year of his memory."

The Doctor turned away from them. Setting the coordinates.

"You don't know what he was like, though, at the start of this year!" Seo insisted. She jumped to her feet. "When I found him in the Irkoli galaxy, he was wandering the universe, trying to get as drunk as he could so he didn't have to think about what had happened on Earth! He was miserable."

"I know."

The TARDIS engines started up.

"I don't want him to be miserable, again!" Seo insisted. "What if I stayed with him? I could help him to—!"

"I'd rather not run the risk," the Doctor replied, turning back to her. "It's a dodgy business, this memory thing. Give him a bit of time, Seo, and — trust me — you three will be racing around the universe as a trio, fighting off the worst evils you could imagine! But for now…" The Doctor turned back to the central console. "…better let him have his space."

The TARDIS landed.

And the Doctor waved his hand, idly, at the door. "Booked him a nice room in a nice hotel, to wake up in," he said. "Or… probably will do, at some point in the future. But he's got a reservation, and we'd better not let that go to waste."

Seo looked down at Jack.

Nodded, slowly.

"I can help," Jenny offered. Taking his hands and upper body.

Seo shook her head. Lifting him back from Jenny, and holding him in a fireman's stance. "He's my friend," she said. "I'll do it."

She came back to the TARDIS, a little while later.

Didn't want to talk about it.

"Just take me back to my ship," Seo muttered, wrapping her arms around her torso. "Maybe it's better if I wandered around by myself for a while."

Jenny cringed. "Can I come with you?"

Seo looked up.

"Well, Dad blew up _my_ ship," Jenny admitted. Shrugged. "I'm at a bit of a loose end, at a moment." Then, with a grin, added, "And I can't give up the running."

The Doctor cleared his throat.

"Actually," he interrupted, "I thought that maybe Seo would like some time with her mum."

Seo's eyes lit up.

"Mom!"

The TARDIS landed with a thump.

And the Doctor, with a grand gesture, threw open the doors. To reveal Buffy Summers, standing right behind them. Her arms open, ready and waiting to receive her daughter back.

Jenny and the Doctor watched, as Buffy and Seo embraced one another, tightly. Both laughing and crying at the same time, as they spoke over one another, trying to tell each one how worried they were, and how much they'd missed each other.

Jenny and the Doctor both crossed their arms.

Each leaning against one side of the TARDIS doorway.

"We're never going to have a reunion like that, are we?" Jenny asked.

The Doctor shrugged. "Too human, for me," he said. Considered. "Maybe in one of my other incarnations."

"I thought you said you didn't have any incarnations left," Jenny pointed out.

"Well… maybe in one of _your_ other incarnations, then!"

Jenny dropped her head, laughing. "And until then, I suppose our reunions will just be me failing to live up to your standards. And you blowing up my ship."

The Doctor shot her a sad smile.

"You know, that little mantra you recited, about the Web of Time," he said, suddenly. "That was quite good. What else have you picked up?"

Jenny grinned back at him. "How much time do you have?"

The Doctor draped a hand over her shoulder. Led her back into the TARDIS. "There's this lovely tea that Emperor Gao Zong gave me, back when I saved China from a rogue band of Sontarans," he said, shutting the doors. "How about we put the kettle on, and start talking temporal mechanics?"

* * *

Jack woke up.

And remembered, as he did every time he woke up, what had happened.

He remembered Ianto. Remembered the world against him. Remembered Steven. And the look on Alice's face, as she'd turned away from him. Hating him forever.

"New day," Jack muttered. Getting up. "Time to keep existing."

A note tumbled off his chest.

One that had been scribbled on the hotel stationary.

He frowned. Picked it up.

It read:

"Dear Jack,

"Had to wipe the last year of your memory. Sorry! But we had fun, and I'll always remember how you protected me. Even when it was impossible.

"Love you always,

"Seo."

Jack folded up the note. Tucked it away.

And headed to the nearest open bar he could find.

"Yep, you ever hear about the Doctor?" Jack was telling the cutie beside him. "Most loveable bastard in the universe. Just when you need him most, he's never there." He took another drink. Paused. A little smile on his lips. "He's got this kid, you know. She's something special. I'd give up years of my life for her." Then, with a laugh. "Think I already have."

"I don't follow," said the cutie.

"Let's just say, when I wake up with a year or more of memories gone, I don't forgive easily," Jack told the cutie. "Her? I forgive. Every time."

Remembering the note.

 _I'll always remember how you protected me._

"Guess it's what the Doctor would say, if he were here," Jack added. Raising his glass, as if in toast. "You can't save 'em all. But if you just saved _someone_ — one person — maybe that makes the pain a little more bearable."

* * *

Elizabeth waited in the darkness of her own mind.

Outside was a fake version of a planet that wasn't hers. A trap for someone who deserved to be here more than she did. A plan that had backfired — to murder _him_.

The bastard!

Elizabeth seethed. Worst thing was, by the time she got out of here, the Doctor would probably already be dead. For good. And she would have missed her chance.

"I guess I'll have to settle for a surrogate," Elizabeth decided. Putting her hands behind her head. Thinking it through. "Good thing you gave me two, Doctor."


	24. Chapter 24

Author's Note: The end, and a sneak preview of my new Shockwave Vampires series!

Next up, I'll post a story full of summaries for other stories I intended to write. Rest assured, these aren't simple summaries, these are very in-depth and often include dialogue; some are short, and some are extremely long. I use these summaries as a jumping off point for my stories.

Then I'm off to Fiction Press.

Enjoy!

* * *

Jenny and the Doctor reappeared, on Earth, a few months later. Mainly to deliver Seo's ship back to her.

At which point, Buffy gave the Doctor another very long snog.

And then explained to him, very emphatically, that she needed him to take Seo out into the universe and teach her exactly when it was all right to go cross your own timeline and change your personal history. And when it wasn't.

"It was a whole planet!" the Doctor insisted. "And under very specific circumstances! I keep trying to explain — with all the timelines splintering and fracturing anyways, at the end of that war, I knew I could—"

"Don't tell _me_ ," Buffy said, turning him around and pushing him towards her daughter. "Tell _her_! Unless you want a version of Seo running around with sunglasses on her head, screwing with our own personal histories!"

"Sunglasses?" the Doctor said.

But he soon found himself back in the TARDIS, facing down two daughters that he hadn't ever technically agreed to take on, and hoping beyond hope that Clara didn't call him to pick her up for their next trip.

Because that would just be embarrassing.

"Well, I suppose… we'd better get going!" the Doctor proposed. Heading over to the central console. "Time and space to explore. Where do you two want to go?"

Jenny and Seo exchanged a look.

Then, in unison, answered, "Gallifrey."

The Doctor froze, at the central console.

"We've been talking," Jenny explained, "and we thought — while the three of us are here, and since Seo's a dimensional Key — why not go look for it?" She grinned. "After all. It's my ancestral home-world. What better way to connect with my cultural heritage?"

The Doctor stared.

In horror.

"Actually, I just want to rescue the bomb," Seo explained.

"The…?" the Doctor shook his head. "Bomb? What bomb?"

"The Moment," Seo clarified, tucking her hands between her knees. "From your story, she sounded nice. And we sentient weapons need to stick together, after all!" She shrugged. "I figured I'd just nip in and rescue her, while Jenny was Time Lording it up, elsewhere."

The Doctor sighed.

Then set the TARDIS in motion.

"Jenny wants to discover cultural heritage so stiflingly boring, it made me want to gnaw my own arm off, as a kid," the Doctor muttered, "and Seo wants to rescue a bomb."

He could just imagine — if they _did_ find it, which they probably wouldn't, and if it actually had people still alive on it, which it probably didn't — what his fellow Time Lords would think about _that_.

He set the coordinates.

"Next stop," the Doctor announced, "anywhere _except_ Gallifrey."

* * *

 **The End.**

* * *

PREVIEW OF SHOCKWAVE VAMPIRES

* * *

 _Book Summary_ :

Imagine a future where you can travel through time by blowing it up!

A future where shockwave science rules, and time is a storm of internet data that blows through history like a hurricane blows through a house!

That's what Jim Walker, normal 21st century schoolboy, finds out.

Kidnapped and infected with a mysterious disease, then flung through time and space, Jim soon uncovers a diabolical plan to rewrite history and change time. He teams up with Seo, an agent from Earth Temporal Headquarters in the far future, and her daughter Chiara, and together, they launch themselves into an action-packed space adventure to defeat Zen and his allies. But will Jim overcome his cowardice in order to save the entire universe?

And how will Jim cope, when he realizes that vampires are real…

…and they can fly through time like bats?

A fun story for all ages, it shows that no person is ever truly flawless, and that great kindness and generosity can come from horrible mistakes.

.*.*.*.

This is a story that introduces a new character, Jim Walker, a normal 21st century boy, who winds up getting caught up in a time traveling adventure. It also has a lot of old characters, such as Seo and Chiara.

We met Chiara for the first time in _The Ten Seos_ (although her backstory is a little different). Now, she's older, ready to take charge and do good across the universe!

Seo is also older (and has a different backstory). But still compelling, interesting, and a time travel superhero!

Here's a sneak preview of one of the scenes from _Shockwave Vampires_. The scene takes place in the 1930's.

.*.*.*.

Scene from the book follows...

.*.*.*.

"What's this? Some kinda joke?" The gangsters' boss eyed Jim — now tied to a chair — up and down. "I tell you to pick up the guy handing out all the diamonds. And you bring me _this_?"

"He knows something, boss," one of the gangsters offered. "Dustin said so."

"Oh, _Dustin_ said so, did he?" The boss grabbed Jim by the collar, choking him, as he inspected the boy again. "I don't trust that guy. I mean, look at this kid. He's not even wearing proper clothes!"

"Dustin seemed to think he was important," said a gangster.

The boss dropped Jim, and turned on the gangsters surrounding him. "Yeah? And just where is Dustin now, huh? Wanna tell me that?"

Everyone looked at everyone else.

Speechless.

"So maybe Dustin's in on this diamond operation, too," said the boss. Turned to Jim. Smacked him hard across the face. "Know anything about this, shrimp?"

"Let me go," Jim pleaded. "I shouldn't be here."

Another hard smack, and Jim had to bite his lip so he didn't cry. Horrible chills kept running through his body, and his head hurt so bad, it felt like it was about to explode.

"No one shows up from nowhere with the kind of money you've been passing out," the boss continued, "and the kind of connections that Dustin's boasting — without me knowing about it. But here you both are!" He leaned in, got right into Jim's face. "And I don't like it."

"Aw, leave the boy alone!" came a slurred, high-pitch voice from not far away.

Jim looked up at the area of the room by the gaudy red curtains, to find a blonde flapper-looking person with short curled hair and a fringed skirt.

"Stay out of this, Sara," said the boss. Turned back to Jim. "Come on, kiddo. Speak up, or my guys'll _make_ you."

The gangsters nearby sneered. Looked like they might enjoy it.

"He's a defen… deferen… deferenciless…" Sara stumbled down the stairs, barely balancing on her heels as she threw her arms around Jim. "He's just… a lost little guy."

"This doesn't concern you, Sara!" the boss snapped, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her away. "Now get out and…"

"Why you gotta go beatin' people up?" Sara complained, trying to shove her way back to Jim. "He's not done anything…"

"I said, _get out_!" the boss shouted, raising his hand to smack Sara across the face.

Seconds before impact, Sara reached out and grabbed the hand, twisting it around until the boss cried out.

"Let me rephrase that," she said, suddenly dropping the high-pitched voice and the accent, her speech perfectly clear and sober. "Get your hands off him. Or I'll rip them off."

Every single gangster in the room cocked his gun, at once, and aimed at the woman.

The boss extricated himself from the woman's grip. Peered at her, closely. "You're not Sara."

"Nope; Seo Sompters, Agent for Earth Temporal Headquarters," the woman introduced. Raised up her hands. "Don't tell me! You've never heard of either, before."

Jim blinked. Finally putting name to face, and realizing… it was her! Chiara's mom! What the…?!

"But you still knew Sara," Seo pointed out. She put a hand on Jim's chair, her other fiddling around in her jacket sleeve. "Even though she never actually existed. And it seems a bit fishy that all you local boys have suddenly started speaking with New York accents. Want to explain that?"

The boss looked baffled, for a minute.

Then his face went red.

"Take them both out," the boss told the others.

Seo whipped out a small metal device from up her sleeve and hit a button at the top — just as the boss and the heavies pulled their triggers.

The guns gave an empty click.

And did nothing.

"What the…?" said the heavies, as they all kept trying, checking their guns, trying again. And still failing.

Seo grabbed the boss' gun by the barrel, yanking it forwards and knocking him off-balance. "I'll take these," she said, grabbing the diamonds off him and tossing away the gun, as she brushed past.

The boss caught himself before he fell.

Then turned around and swung a fist at her, with a roar. "Just kill her, already!"

Seo ducked the punch, tucking the diamonds away in a pocket as she did. The other heavies jumped into action, abandoning the guns and lunging for her.

She dodged the first, grabbed his arm and swung him around and straight into the others. Blocked a left punch from another and elbowed the third sneaking up from her right, kicking the guy in the crotch and shoving him away.

Someone grabbed her from behind, and she flailed enough so she spun him around as a shield against the boss — about to bludgeon her with the butt of his gun.

The guy holding her fell unconscious, as he got the smack intended for her.

And dropped to the ground.

"Not bad for a broad," the boss said, looking around at his heavies — dazed or confused, trying to get back off the floor for another go.

Seo grabbed a liquor bottle and smashed it against the edge of the bar, glass flying everywhere. "Next time, try giving me a _challenge_."

She spun around, raced back to Jim, worked at cutting the ropes with the broken glass. Jim was still looking at the boss, and only just caught the glint of metal in the guy's hand as he set up to throw it at Seo.

"Knife!" Jim shouted.

Seo looked up a split second before the knife flying through the air could hit her, and dove out of the way — but not quite fast enough. She hissed, as the knife struck a glancing blow to her arm.

And embedded itself in the wall behind her.

"Got to stop getting cocky," she muttered, grabbing at the bleeding arm.

Which was when the thugs she'd initially knocked down recovered. And started charging her, again.

Seo gritted her teeth, stubbornly ignoring the wound, and yanked the knife out of the wall. With two strikes, she'd severed the ropes binding Jim to the chair.

Jim got to his feet, then nearly stumbled, as the blood rushed into his head. He felt himself shoved aside by thugs trying to get at Seo, and decided they had a good point. His head still throbbing, chills running through him and his vision spinning, Jim stumbled as fast as he could away from the fighting.

He tripped over his sagging pants. And was grabbed up before he could fall.

By the boss, now glaring at Jim.

"Not gettin' away that easy," the boss said.

Jim glanced over at Seo, but she was still in the midst of a serious fight with the other gang members. No time to rescue him.

"I shouldn't be here," Jim insisted.

"Don't care about that," the boss replied. Twisted Jim's arm until he cried out. "All I know is you're gonna tell me what's goin' on. Who this 'Seo' is. And how she managed to stop our guns from working."

The world lurched around Jim, and he thought he might puke.

Any second now.

"Tell me!" the boss shouted, getting right in Jim's face.

"Shockwave spectroscopy," said a voice behind him.

The boss turned, but too slow. As Seo slammed Jim's wooden chair on the boss' head, making him slump to the ground.

Seo grabbed Jim by the wrist, tugged him behind her. "They won't be out for long — not if they're hearing Data Winds. We'd better move."

Jim stumbled after her, as she downed the flights of stairs and burst out the front door and into the night air outside. The cold bit into Jim's cheeks, and he felt another chill run through him.

From behind them, Jim could hear voices. Lots of running footsteps. Seo glanced over her shoulder. "I knew it wouldn't take them long."

She threw herself and Jim out of the way as the sounds of gunfire cracked through the air.

Jim panted, every breath burning in his throat.

"But… you disabled… their guns…" Jim gasped.

"Yes, for a little while," Seo said. "But the effect wears off." Still running, she took out the small metal device she'd used earlier, examined it, then shook her head and tucked it away. "Not even close to recharged. 'Premium gadget' my eye."

She yanked him down another back-alley as the shooting started up, again. Flinched as the pain in her arm surged through her, but bit it back.

"My ship's around here, somewhere," Seo said. "Just got to remove the diamonds from this timezone and call for backup. As far as I'm concerned — my job's done. THQ can clear up the rest of this mess."

Jim's whole world lurched around him, again, and he actually fell over.

His heart racing.

Deep chills running through him, constantly.

"Don't stop! They'll…!" Seo spun around, but stopped herself as she caught sight of Jim. "There's something seriously wrong with you, isn't there?"

Jim was too cold and tired to bother answering.

His head throbbing so hard, he felt like he was gonna explode.

"In here!" someone shouted in a New York accent.

Seo yanked Jim with her, behind a dumpster. Shushed him, gently. Then took out the device she'd used to stop the guns, before, and started fiddling with it.

Someone shone a flashlight around the alleyway. "Don't see 'em."

"Must be hiding," said someone else. "Plenty of places for it."

A flurry of gunshots rang out, striking the area around them — and clanging as they hit the dumpster. Seo gritted her teeth, looking at the lights on her little gadget. Only half were lit up.

Jim guessed this meant the thing wasn't recharged.

The gunshots stopped. Footsteps heading towards them, the sounds of the gangsters tearing through obstacles in the alleyway, shoving each object or piece of cover aside.

Seo bit her lip, eyes still fixed on the device in her hand. Another little light flicked on, but the thing still wasn't close to lighting all of them.

She was never gonna make it.

The dumpster squeaked.

As it was rolled away, and the harsh glare of flashlights shone in their eyes. "Got 'em," came a voice.

The guy pointed his gun at them. Squeezed his finger on the trigger.

* * *

DUX BELLORUM PREVIEW (Another story in the Shockwave Vampires series)

 _"My boss at Temporal Headquarters thinks the whole King Arthur legend is a temporal cover-up," Seo said. "And looking at the evidence… I think he's right."_

The moment Seo hears about Excalibur, she knows she needs to steal it.

But when Seo deciphers the secret symbols on its surface, and recognizes what Excalibur really is, she realizes that King Arthur's story is wrapped up in her own. Seo must face up to her past, encounter old and new enemies, and deal with age-old childhood traumas, in order to stop the spread of evil.

.*.*.*.*.

Here's a scene from the story!

.*.*.*.*.

Arthur stepped towards Seo, his voice lowering to a whisper. "Tell me a secret you don't want anyone else to know," he said. "One you'd fight to make sure I didn't reveal."

Seo laughed, a little nervously. "I… don't have those kinds of secrets."

But it was a lie.

They both knew it.

"Would you rather I just left?" said Arthur, turning away from her, towards his horse.

Seo grabbed his arm, spun him back around. "No, wait!"

Arthur waited, patiently.

"All right, you win," Seo said. "Truth is I'm… different from other people." She cringed. "It's like a… disability — something I've gotta work around, to live my regular life. I—"

"No," Arthur cut in. "I don't want to hear about _you_."

That threw Seo for a loop. What could be more damning than the truth about her?

"Tell me," Arthur whispered, "about your father."

Seo stopped.

Silent.

Okay… on second thought… that was worse. A _lot_ worse.

"I can't," Seo whispered.

"My father was a farmer," Arthur said. "I lied about my birth, in order to join the military ranks of Ambrosius Aurelianus." He spread open his arms. "See? It's not that hard."

"It is for me," Seo said.

Arthur tilted his head, giving her a strange look.

As if to say, _After a confession like mine… what could you have to top it?_

"It's not about _who_ my father was," Seo said. "It's just… people like me… there are two things we can't ever tell anyone. First, our real names. And second, anything about our families or lives before…"

She drifted off.

As she noticed Arthur wasn't listening to her excuses. He just wanted the answer.

"If information like this spreads," Seo said, trying again, "I could suffer a fate worse than death!"

"It's a token of trust," Arthur said. "Tell me. Tell me about your father."

Seo said nothing for a long time.

A very, very long time.

Then, in a soft voice, barely audible, "My brother. His name... was Miles."

Arthur frowned.

"I loved him," Seo said. Shuddered. "Things were never the same after he died."

"That isn't what I asked," Arthur said.

"You asked for a secret that I'd never tell anyone," Seo snapped. "This is it. My brother's name." She looked around herself, nervously. "You have no idea what kind of risk I'm taking, saying it out loud."

"And your father?" Arthur insisted.

"My father was killed by an evil man, who called himself 'the Shadow'," Seo replied. She crossed her arms. "That's not a secret. But it's all I'm ever going to say about him."

Arthur thought a long moment, about this.

Then smiled, and headed to the door. "You wish to loosen my lips," he said. "I wish to loosen yours. Let's drink together — and see which of us talks, first."


End file.
